Reconciliation
by Universally Sound
Summary: When Inuyasha is overcome by a new ability he inherited from the Inu no Taishou, Kagome goes on a journey to find and help him only to find that Sesshoumaru has already decided the hanyou's fate and will not be moved. Now, Kagome must reconcile her love, her purpose, and a future she never could have imagined. Post-manga. CU. Slow burn. Gonna be long.
1. Chapter 1 - Stuck on You

**Author's Note:** I don't own any of the names of the characters or the source material. They are owned by Rumiko Takahashi and I acknowledge that fully.

This story is rated **MA** per guidelines for violence, adult themes like murder and sex, and language. There's not an excess of any of that in what I have written so far but there is some and I'd rather be conservative and not make people uncomfortable.

The first three chapters are all KagInu, because she did actually come back for him and I'm sticking with the canon there, but then the adventure starts in Ch4. We do eventually end up with KagSess but it takes a while so if you like slow burn, character development, and a little bit of angst; that's what you found.

Updated 20/03/2020: Rewrote the first section. Just wasn't happy with it before. Still not thrilled with it but it's better.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 1 – Stuck on You**

_'Kagome!' _

Her unique scent hit his nose on the breeze and Inuyasha was suddenly up and sprinting, leaving a confused Miroku and Sango in his dust. The familiar pulse of power from the well was a shock to his system. Disbelief followed by awe trailed by hope coursed through his mind as he raced to the weathered Bone Eater's Well.

_'This scent… there's no mistaking it!'_

The slope up the hill was nothing but the effort to push his hesitant and suddenly leaden feet was almost too much. He gave a fearful and tentative sniff of the air. He heard shuffling below in the depths of the well. Could it be?

Reaching a clawed hand down, he waited. Waited.

Then suddenly, a small but impossibly warm hand grasped his and he was hauling her up out of the future and into his arms. Her presence filled his senses. She was everything he remembered and more.

"Inuyasha, sorry… were you waiting for me?"

_'Only forever, woman!'_ he thought satirically.

Her innocent and longing smile sent his heart thudding through his chest. Unable to resist anymore, he pulled her in. Warm arms wrapped around her and she melted into his chest.

"Kago- You idiot! What have you been doing?"

His voice cracked and became thick with emotions built up over the last three years. He felt the approach of their friends and hugged her that much tighter before they could see. She laid eyes on them first.

"Miroku! Sango! Shippou!" Her smile shone like the sun. She had missed them. All of them.

"Kagome-chan!" Sango gasped, smiling too.

"Kagome-sama!" Miroku echoed.

"Kagome!" Shippou yelled excitedly. His adopted mother had returned!

After a brief visit with Kaede and Rin, Kagome was invited to stay there as she figured out what to do next. The young woman knew Kaede was hopeful she would take over village priestess duties, at least in part, and truly it was a good idea. It gave Kagome direction and occupation and she would need those things in the coming months and years.

Sango spent that evening crying off and on and hugging Kagome, a rare show of affection for the retired demon slayer-turned-wife-and-mother. Kagome had returned them lovingly and whole-heartedly. She had missed her sister-in-arms. The women's laughter at stories of the past three years filled the room again and again.

Miroku had welcomed her back with open arms and embarrassing details about the behavior of the sulking inuhanyou sitting behind her. He left a few times to check on the children but they were sleeping soundly most of the evening.

Shippou had bounded into her arms once they entered the house and had yet to leave, snuggling as close as he could over and over again and telling her tales of school and Rin and minor youkai attacks. Kagome had cried over and over at their stories, feeling sorry for missing their lives when so much had changed, but when Shippou recounted how scared he'd been after she left, she'd felt the guiltiest. There was nothing else to be done, of course, and she had tried to come back so many times, she told him, but until now, the well had been ignoring her pleas. She allowed him to stay as close as he wanted and promised not to leave again. He was hers now and always and she would show him that from now on.

Inuyasha sat uncomfortably and silently behind her, hands in his sleeves, listening to everyone gabbing on about their lives in those few years past. His foot kept bobbing up and down impatiently. Though the hanyou had done his best to explain her return to the future, to them and himself, there truly was no good explanation as to why she was better off in that loud, smelly, gray place than here with them. When Kagome spoke up about graduating high school and leaving her family behind, his ears twitched forward.

"Mama knew I was leaving. We had talked a lot about what it was like here and the more I told her, the more I think she knew I'd be leaving one day. I don't know what changed but I thought about how much I wanted to see… you all and suddenly, there was the sky… at the bottom of the well. I can't explain it, really." she finished, smiling but looking down at her hands.

"So, are you staying here then, Kagome-chan? For good?" Sango asked hopefully.

More white-tufted ear twitching.

"I think so? I'm not sure how time travel works from here on out. Truthfully, I still don't understand the well. I'd like to be able to see my Tokyo family again but... That's a worry for another day. Mama doesn't expect me to come back so if I do, it'll be a surprise to us both." She waved it off but thoughts of her family would drift in and out of her mind forever, she knew.

"Indeed. Let us celebrate your return tonight, Kagome-sama." Miroku said, reaching over to hug Sango close.

At the show of intimacy, Kagome blushed happily for her friends and couldn't stop the compulsory glance behind her.

Tea and food were made and passed around as their tales of the past three years poured out. Soon, Kagome felt like part of the family again and caught up on the biggest events in their lives since her departure. Inuyasha, however, was quiet and offered little about his life in her absence. Kagome's curiosity grew about what he had been up to as the night wore on.

Later on, at Sango's yawn, Kagome felt like the party might be over. She politely excused herself.

"Well, I'd better get to Kaede's house. She said I could stay with her until I figure out what to do next."

"You know you are welcome to stay here." Sango offered.

"Thanks, but you have your hands full. I'm sure Kaede would be happy to have some help with Rin and her work. I'll hopefully start training with her soon but we haven't talked about it yet."

Sango and Miroku nodded and bid her goodbye. "I know our village is a small one but do not be a stranger, Kagome-sama." Miroku winked.

"Can't be any stranger than you!" she shot back. He barked a laugh in response.

Inuyasha stood up behind her. "Come on." he said gruffly. "I'll walk you back." he continued, holding out a hand.

Kagome set Shippou down on the floor, took the offered hand and rose. She felt her heart pound even with such innocent contact.

_'Get it together!'_

"Thanks, Inuyasha. Good night, everyone." she managed through her embarrassment.

Shippou leapt up from the floor to take his place in her arms but Miroku was faster, catching the kit in midair with both hands.

"Hey!" he squeaked, protesting.

"Let them walk there alone, should we not? I will take you to Kaede-sama momentarily." Miroku whispered in his small elfin ear. Shippou grumbled and crossed his arms in Miroku's grip.

Inuyasha nodded at the monk and led Kagome out of the house with a hand at the small of her back. When the curtain fell behind him, he took a deep breath of the night air before stepping off the landing and onto the packed dirt road that would lead them to Kaede's.

The village was quiet. The farmers and their wives and children had long since gone to bed. His ears swiveled around a bit, trying to find sounds of human movement in the night but hearing none, he turned to Kagome again.

Holding out a tentative and a hopeful hand to her, he waited. When she placed it easily in his and gave him a bashful grin, he returned it and started down the road. The walk was quiet except for the sound of crickets and the rustle of grasses as the night breeze washed over the valley. Kagome suddenly felt very aware of their clasped hands and the fact that they were alone. She cleared her throat before diving in.

"You were awfully quiet, Inuyasha, but I guess you knew all the stories, huh? I can't wait to spend some more time with the children." She heard him sigh but didn't understand why. "I bet they have-"

"Dammit, wench! Stop talking already!"

Her breath was stolen mid-sentence as his lips cut off her nervous babbling.

He couldn't think about being seen; he didn't care. She was here now and he'd endured hours of chatter in a warm, stifling house, trapped in the scents of her happiness and love and relief with no way to let her know he felt the same.

She couldn't stop the surprised squeak in her throat at the intimate contact but quickly relaxed and returned the kiss, closing her cerulean eyes and tipping her head to the side in acceptance and surrender. Her hands came up to rest on his chest as he pulled her closer, circling her waist with both arms. Surprising her as much as himself, he changed angles and deepened the kiss, sweeping his tongue over her bottom lip lightly and uncertainly. She moved her hands up and wrapped them around his neck, returning his fervor. He was stilled, however, by the smell of salt suddenly in the air. He pulled back to look at her.

Kagome was crying but smiling. She removed a hand from his neck and wiped her eyes with her palms.

"Sorry. I know: I'm hopeless. But after being away, I wanted so badly to come back to you, to this," she gestured between them, "and I was just afraid that it would never be. Too much time had passed, too much baggage to carry. I thought you might have even found someone else by now." She tried to laugh but between the tears and ragged voice, it sounded more like a sob.

"As if." he snorted. "Leaving the past in the past, there's no one else. There never could be. I meant what I said back then. You were made for me and I was made for you. I didn't get the chance to tell you then, after it was all over, but I'm sure as hell telling you now. Promise me you won't ever leave again." He cradled her head against his chest then.

She was taken aback by his honesty. Three years apart had coaxed some candor out of him, it seemed.

A few more tears fell against his haori and she relaxed her head against his chest. "Mm mmm," she confirmed. "I'm not going anywhere. I meant what I said about researching the well to see my family but I'll make sure it's safe somehow first. I'm just- I'm so happy to be here with you."

She stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. Wait. Tiptoes?

"When did you get so tall? We were practically the same height three years ago." She wiped the last bits of moisture from her face and glanced up at him. Up. At him.

He shrugged. "Guess I'm still growing then. I hadn't noticed." He looked down at himself. "Or maybe **you** shrunk." he teased.

"No, I actually grew too, thank you. I was afraid I'd come back to a teenager again and feel like a lecher…" she giggled.

"I noticed." His eyes roamed down her body and took in all the changes in her, too.

Her eyes were the same, he was relieved to find. Those blue eyes that haunted his dreams but returned with such hope and love. Her face was thinner and more defined, her hair longer and wilder than before. Her breasts were only slightly larger, but her waist and hips had become those of a woman. Long, lean legs squeezed together in nervousness at his heated look.

"Stop that! You're as bad as Miroku!" she playfully swatted his shoulder.

They resumed walking to Kaede's house, satisfied in their mutual desire to be together.

"Like hell." Inuyasha snorted. "That guy is an expert even **if** Sango has him on a short leash."

Kagome giggled, and he had forgotten how wonderful and light the sound of it was. Inuyasha took her hand again as they walked, squeezing it gently every few steps.

…

_'She has gone then. Today was the day…'_

He sighed lightly, allowing himself the pleasure since no one was around to see the small expression of discomfiture.

A lithe body strolled from the shadows of the shrine building and slowly entered the well house. Black hair and chestnut eyes caught the filtered sunlight as it blinked in and out of worn roofing of the well house eaves. The door was open, left by the girl's mother in her haste to avoid the now-empty well. He turned into the well house and slid into the shadows below.

The steps he took down echoed in the dusty, abandoned shed. Large, bluntly nailed hands touched the well on the Higurashi shrine with reverence. The wood was warm there where she had been leaning only minutes before. Her scent still hung in the air, waking slumbering memories in him. Rain water and camelias. The juniper of her excitement. The vinegar of her fear. The salt of her tears.

Her mother's scent was also there. He could hear Mariko Higurashi sitting down in the kitchen with a mug of tea, sighing and sniffling to make peace with her only daughter's decision to leave the future for the past.

The empty air shimmered to his right and there stood a red fox on four paws, emerald eyes pleading up at him. Six tails twitched with frustration and impatience.

"I don't understand why we couldn't say 'Hi.' She would still go. She loved him." Shippou wondered, silently changing forms to speak at eye-level. Well, shoulder-level anyway.

"Would she, indeed? I am less sure than you, and am not willing to risk what **must** happen for what **could**." his baritone rumbled in the darkness.

Shippou moved closer and peered into the well. He clenched his eyes shut and willed the sadness to stay buried. She was gone again. He knew how hard this next part was going to be for her. His heart broke for his adoptive mother. She didn't deserve what came next.

"Come. Let's leave for now. It will be many months before they return."

"They?" Auburn hair shuffled around his shoulders as his head snapped up to attention.

"Must I keep reminding you?" Sesshoumaru kept his eyes on the well.

"Oh right. I forgot they came back together that one time. I wasn't home then. We can't see them then either, huh?"

"No. It would not change the outcome but I will not tempt myself out of guilt."

"Have it your way. I just don't want to upset her." Shippou shrugged.

He knew she'd be back eventually and that had to be enough to keep him going. Sesshoumaru remembered her returning a few times and they could plan around those to move forward.

"I'm afraid her pain is inevitable but we must be here after the worst is over. She will need you."

_'And she will hate me.'_ he thought. Anguish gripped his heart as her vengeful blue eyes flashed in his mind, but it wouldn't do either of them any good to dwell on that now.

Sesshoumaru turned around and left the shrine without a backward glance. Shippou gave the well several more pleading looks on their way out but followed the inu down the stairs and back home.

…

**Author's Note:** This is my first attempt at fanfiction. I've been an enthusiastic reader for many years but this story has been swimming around in my head for just as long. I'm so glad to finally get it down and share it. I'm writing mostly for myself. Because I enjoy it and the source material so much. I'm not writing for comments or encouragement but they're definitely welcome. I don't have a schedule down for updates but I will update when I can and as I finish chapters. This is gonna be a pretty long one, I think, if what I have written already is any indication.

Don't judge this first chapter too harshly. I've messed and messed with it but it's just a simple introduction to the characters and some setup for the future. It does get better and more involved, I promise.

Enjoy and thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2 - I Knew I Loved You

**Author's Note: **I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled **MA** per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

Updated 20/03/2020: Fixed some errors and added some conversation mostly. Clarified a little. Nothing major but it flows better now, I think.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 2 – I Knew I Loved You**

The Goshinboku was in full bloom in the Feudal Era for the first time Kagome could remember. It was beautiful. The sacred tree was a beacon of white in a sea of green this spring. Small, white blossoms wreathed the entire crown of the young tree and scattered all around its trunk, littering the forest floor. As the breeze rustled the forest all around, the flowers drifted along the ground, collecting against the feet of a young woman's sandals.

Kagome had returned to this side of the well, to the Feudal Era, less than a month ago. Pensive sapphire eyes looked from the blossoms up to the tree ahead and smiled. It was beautiful here in the forest. Peaceful. No noise contamination from a busy city and a huge population of cars and people. The sounds of birds and movement in the undergrowth was the only harmony to the rustling of the trees. The breeze smelled like fresh flowers and loamy earth and sunlight.

She placed her basket of herbs on the ground, midnight hair falling like a curtain around her face, and moved forward to touch the scar where Inuyasha had been held for so long. Miko robes brushing the gnarled, unnatural vines that had grown up around him as she climbed. It was smooth there in contrast to the rest of the trunk. The hole where the sacred arrow tip had pierced the tree straight through his chest was the only other evidence of the seal he had endured. She shuddered, thinking again of her beautiful hanyou being frozen here in time for longer than she'd been alive.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" a voice suddenly erupted by her left ear.

"Eeep!" She stumbled backward, slipping on the hardened vines, and was caught by two strong arms.

"What the hell, Inuyasha?! Don't sneak up on me like that." she yelled and smacked him on one of the offending arms.

Inuyasha doubled over laughing for a second before straightening and leaning forward to gather her in.

"Don't get cute with me now, buddy. I'm still mad at you. Ugh, I **hate** being scared!" Kagome stomped a foot in the dirt.

"I know. That's why it's fun." he smirked over her head.

"Won't be so fun when my first reaction is to scream you-know-what from now on." Kagome pulled away and crossed her arms in mock anger.

He paled for a split second but recovered quickly and held a hand out to her. She ignored him and turned in a slow circle trying to find her wayward basket. Finding it near the trunk of the tree, she stepped over to retrieve it and brushed off her hakama. He enjoyed watching her bent low in front of him…

_'Woman, you have no idea what game you're playing.'_ he groaned internally.

"Ready to go home?"

"Yeah, but I still feel guilty. Kaede already has a house guest and so much to do and I'm just getting in her way." Kagome reached out a took his hand with practiced ease and faint rush of color to her cheeks.

She studied him as they walked and catalogued all of the changes she had noticed in him this past month.

He was definitely taller. That had been unexpected. His lips met her forehead now as they stood side by side, which he was taking advantage of more and more. He was thin like she remembered, all limbs and length. His strength was subtle, hidden beneath the Robe of the Fire Rat and his easy, relaxed gait. She knew, of course, what strength that thin form belied but he was so much more comfortable in himself now. His claws and ears were a constant reminder of his heritage, and his hair was longer and straighter than before. All in all, he looked less like a wild teenager and more like a man. Not that she was complaining. It was a relief and a comfort to think they had been growing up together, even so far apart.

His teasing was less the product of discomfort with emotion and more playful flirting. He was more direct with his words and less evasive in his answers. She found he was still himself but now he was more. He was still abrasive but it was intentional and directed. He was hot-tempered but it was in defense of himself and others. He was attentive but not overbearing and demanding. And he wasn't confused anymore about who and what he was. Inuyasha was all of those things before she had returned and now she could appreciate the growth in him as much as he could appreciate hers.

"Oh come on, you know she don't mind. Sango's so happy to have you back to help her out. Those kids are definitely a handful. Monk better not add anymore to the family though or they're gonna run outta room. I'm sure you're a help at Kaede's too while the old bat's busy. Oh, hold on…"

He hefted a large deer from under a bush over his other shoulder and started to pull Kagome along.

"Seriously? Nothing like a walk in the forest with a deer carcass for company…" she wrinkled her nose.

"Well, I could leave it but we all might be a little hungrier for a few days." he stated sarcastically.

"I know, I know. It's just one of those things I'm not 100% used to yet."

"Wench, we ran all over the island. TWICE. Showers and showers of demon parts, poison gas, and dirt flying everywhere but this deer bothers you?"

He slung it down off his shoulder and shook it a little in front her for emphasis. It's limp head and legs lolled about in midair.

"All right, stop that. Gross! It's fine. I'm fine. Let's go home." Kagome laughed lightly and took his hand again. "When will your house be finished?"

"Dunno." he shrugged. "Depends on when I can get back out and get some more wood ready. Been too many petty demons around to spend much time on it. Gotta do it right though…" he trailed off and a faint touch of color lit his face.

"Well, I'll be glad when you're not sleeping out in the woods all the time. I know you're fine but it's nice to have a home."

"Keh. I've been sleeping outside my whole life. Nothing new. But it isn't about that. The house isn't the home, idiot. **You** are." he said matter-of-factly, ducking through the underbrush as they broke through the tree line at the edge of the village.

"What?" she breathed.

Kagome's feet came to a full stop at the edge of the forest in the field of wildflowers. He was standing there in the sunlight with a dead deer over one shoulder, silver hair gently moving in the breeze, staring straight into her eyes. Gold eyes that suddenly commanded her attention and gained it, unfaltering. Inuyasha blinked, dropped the deer, and sighed. He stood straight, brushed his hair back with both hands, and faced her.

"There was gonna be a better way to do this but… I said **you** are my home. The only one I've ever had." He stalked over to her, slowly and purposefully. He reached out and gently placed a warm hand on her cheek, thumb stroking her darkening blush. "**You** are what I come back to, not some hut in a village. What I have to offer isn't land or a house or much more than what I am right now but I want to come **home** every day and that means having you by my side from now on. Forever." He took her hands in his and looked right at her. Amber met cerulean with warmth and hope. "Stay with me? Always? Be my- Hell, be my wi- wife, Kagome?"

Kagome was dumbfounded. Her hands left his and came up to cover her mouth as she gasped at his open, honest declaration. Suddenly, four years of love, loss, and longing came flooding from her eyes and she caught her sobs with her hands.

Inuyasha panicked.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking. Please don't cry, Kagome. Way too soon for this, right?" He ducked down, trying to peer at her face, his hands coming up in midair to do… something. Anything!

Kagome looked up from her shaking hands with a face splitting smile and tears running down her cheeks. She reached up and took his face in her hands.

"You idiot, of course it's not! Yes! Yes!"

It was the first time she had ever **really** seen him smile. His face lit up, eyes crinkled, fangs flashing as he laughed. Then he swiftly closed the space between them and kissed her roughly, too excited to care how it seemed. She was his. He was hers. He was more than eager to show her what this meant to him. He took her small waist in his hands and lifted her flush to his chest as he held her kiss and slowly spun them around. Ebony and silver hair spun around them for a moment and they were in their own world, lost in their happiness.

…

Weeks later, the couple sat in Inuyasha's finished house on the far southern end of the village. He had moved in about a week ago after the last of the roofing was finished. Miroku was true to his word in his connection to suppliers from his home village. The roof was tiled and gorgeous. Three actual rooms surrounded a modest central room with a wide and welcoming porch on two sides. Two bedrooms faced the village and the third slightly larger room faced the forest and the neighboring field. The porch met the road in front and wrapped around toward the forest for late evening viewing. The fire pit was aglow with the dying embers used to cook dinner and the couple sat facing it together on the floor.

Inuyasha reclined against the wall and Kagome leaned back in his embrace, their hands folded together on her waist. This comfortability between them was becoming second nature. She found he was so open to physical contact and she was enjoying his touches. He knew this was normal for her where she had grown up so he expected it but they never dared in public. In this age, such liberties as an unmarried couple was scandalous at best and damning at worst.

"I know it's going to be hard without them but I made the decision to leave and I don't regret it." Kagome nuzzled under his chin from her position in his lap. He tightened a muscled left arm around her waist and stroked her shoulder with his right. Every breath brought more of her soothing scent to his nose.

The world outside was dark but the fire lit the couple entirely as they sat curled around each other in the middle of the room. It had only been a few weeks since Inuyasha asked Kagome to become his wife but they were both eager to start their new lives together so he had asked how she was feeling about the wedding coming so soon. Kaede had chosen the next full moon in just a few weeks as their most auspicious date.

"Was today rough?" she asked.

"Nah, just a few boar youkai trampling through a village nearby. They aren't smart but they're big and they hit hard. Miroku was right on with those ofuda this time. Stopped them in their tracks and then I take 'em out. It's almost boring."

"Be careful what you wish for, Inuyasha. Be happy to be bored."

"I'm not saying I want major trouble but a challenge might be nice once in a while."

"Maybe I'll invite Kouga to the wedding then. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to-"

"Nope."

"Aww, why not?" she frowned satirically at him.

"Don't start, wench. You know why not." He pinched at her ribs and sent her giggling.

"Anybody else you wanna invite?" she asked. When he shook his head, she thought for a moment. "Have you thought about asking, now don't get mad, Sesshoumaru to come to the wedding? I'm sure he-"

"No way. Even** if** he came, and that's a huge 'if,' it would make the village anxious and twitchy to have him here. Not to mention me. He might not come around to knock me off anymore but that doesn't mean he wants to be involved."

Kagome turned around in his arms, breaking free of his grip, and crossed her legs as she faced him down.

"Okay but don't you have any questions about demon marriage or anything like that? What about how hanyou babies are?"

Kagome swore she heard him choke on his tongue.

"**What**?! Wait just a second! We aren't even married yet! One thing at a time, woman."

She threw her hands up in front of her. "Don't get mad at me! We're getting married in a few weeks. Unless you wanna live a celibate married life, it's something we need to be thinking about." She could feel the heat of her own face over that of the fire but this was important.

"Celibate?"

"It means… you know, not ever… being **together** as husband and wife." She pushed the tips of her two index fingers together in the air in front of them in the hopes he'd get it.

"What? Not getting married you mean?" he cocked his head to the side and frowned, and she would have laughed at the inu-like expression if the conversation wasn't so serious.

"Oh my gods, Inuyasha. I have to spell it out. Not having sex, you idiot! It means not having sex **ever**."

"Gah! OK! I get it!"

He actually hid his face from her with his right hand then, turning away slightly. Just the **mention** of intimacy with Kagome was enough ignite the desire already burning in his blood, but he wouldn't entertain the tempting thoughts. Marrying him, as a hanyou, was going to be hard enough on her but he wouldn't risk any rumors spreading around the village about them before they were married. At this very moment, Kaede sat outside, their chaperone for the evening.

"Oh kami, Kaede's still outside, isn't she?!" the priestess squeaked out. Kagome realized the same time he did.

"Shit. Yep, old bat's heard it all now. Might as well come in, old woman!"

Kaede cleared her throat then and stepped through the bamboo screen into the house.

"I understand your concerns, children, but I can't help ye I'm afraid." She continued like their extreme embarrassment was nothing, aged wisdom taking over. "Hanyou like Inuyasha are rare enough but hanyou mixed with holy blood will be something new entirely. I doubt it has ever happened before. Alas, I couldn't ask the learned monks and priestesses I know without alerting them all to your marriage and inviting trouble to you and the village. I'm sorry, young ones, but in this, you will be very much alone."

Inuyasha's brows knit together and he shoved his hands in his sleeves, sadness showing on his face.

Kagome stood from her spot on the floor and faced Kaede then.

"Not alone." She reached down to Inuyasha, stirring him out of his thoughts. "We'll have each other."

She smiled down at him. Illuminated by the fire, she was glowing in the dark hut and reaching out for him. He felt his melancholy dissipate and stood to join hands with her, hopeful she was right.

...

Hope you liked this one and I promise it is **eventually **SessKag. Eventually. We have some plot to get through first though.


	3. Chapter 3 - Black and Gold

**Author's Note:** I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled **MA** per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

**This chapter contains an explicit **lemon**.**

Updated 20/03/2020: Minor stuff here and there that makes it a little better, I think. The basic story is the same.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 3 – Black and Gold**

"Sango, I don't think I can do this. The whole village is up there. I can hear them from here!" Kagome fluttered around Sango's house nervously, wringing her hands and pacing in a circle. "Coming back here and being together was one thing but marriage is a whole other… thing!"

Her friend laughed loudly at her then, clutching her stomach for support. Sango wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and squared her friend in front of her, stopping her pacing and her wringing. Kagome looked beautiful in the white kosode so much like the one Sango had worn herself at her own wedding. The gold kimono and red obi she wore underneath were light and perfect for the summer warmth. Kagome hadn't settled into wearing traditional clothing quite so easily but the young priestess was glowing today, both from excitement and the heat of the mid-summer night.

She was scrubbed clean this morning at the bath, skin fresh and smooth and smelling lightly of crushed lilies from the field nearby. Her slim arms, toned from training and archery these past weeks, were on display as Kagome reached up to fuss with her bangs and the sleeves of the kimono slid up to her elbow. Her small feet were tucked neatly into new sandals. The two women had managed to tame Kagome's wild, ebony waves into straight, flowing tresses; pinned back at the sides with small shell combs to expose Kagome's graceful neck and delicate features. Her hair fell in a cascade down her back to the curve of her waist.

"Shall I go tell Inuyasha you've changed your mind then?"

Kagome's mouth snapped open and color lit her cheeks in frustration.

"No! I mean… no. It's just- I just need- If it was just a little- Ugh!" she was defeated. Kagome let out a lung full of air. "Thanks, Sango. I can do this."

"Are you convincing me or yourself?" she laughed behind her hand. "Come on, let's get going."

Sango led her nervous friend out of the house with a gentle hand at the small of her back. It was still twilight but the bonfires at the shrine was already glowing brightly, casting the shadows of the torii arch and the gathering crowd down the hill. The village was quiet save for the raucous conversations that could be heard at the shrine. It was mid-summer now and the fields were green with leafy crops and the thin stalks of growing rice. The fireflies over the fields heralded the late evening.

"Ok, very funny. Were you not nervous on your wedding day? Miroku talks big but wasn't he nervous too?" Kagome asked as they padded down the road toward the shrine.

"I actually never asked. He was so happy though, so excited. It was wonderful. You won't remember this part of the night or the nervousness you feel now. Just wait until you see him. It will all be alright, Kagome-chan." she said as she patted Kagome's shoulder. Sango had a pleasant, wistful look in her eyes as she recalled her own wedding.

Kagome's eyes softened at the sight of Sango so happy and in love. Now she was feeling more excited herself. This was the inevitable conclusion of her feudal life. All roads led to this moment. It was a convoluted, twisting, at times-heartbreaking road, granted, but they were meant to end up here. Together.

Kagome's steps picked up speed and Sango glanced knowingly at her friend. The young miko would be fine.

They approached the shrine steps and that was the moment Kagome realized she would be climbing steps… in a white kosode and sandals… in the dark. She swallowed nervously and stared up at the never-ending stairs.

"Sango, please don't let me fall."

"Of course, Kagome. You should have asked that so many other times, too, you know." she laughed. "But yes, take my arm and we'll be just fine."

Sango ignored the withering look Kagome sent her way. Shippo was waiting at the bottom of the steps and his eyes lit up as he took in his adopted mother.

"Wow, Kagome. You look pretty… and like a grown up!" he beamed.

"Thank you, Shippou-chan. But what are you doing down here?"

"AH! I'm supposed to let them know when you arrive! See you at the top!" he shouted as he scampered back up the hill.

"Up we go, I guess." Kagome looked at her friend and sighed nervously.

At the top of the hill, Kagome peeked over the last step and saw… well, everyone. Throngs of husbands and wives, kids and grandparents, all huddled together around the shrine to celebrate the impending marriage. Kagome was sure they were more than a little curious in particular about the wedding of a hanyou and a priestess, but she didn't really care. Weddings were rare and cause for village-wide celebration. This one would be no different.

The full moon was already visible over the treetops behind the shrine. It was hanging over the prayer room like a pearlescent lantern, beckoning her forward. Kaede had chosen a beautiful night.

The old priestess had counseled them both on the details of the wedding and what would be expected of them. Kagome was familiar with the ceremony, given her previous life in Tokyo, but Inuyasha had listened with surprisingly rapt attention. He was absorbing everything. She was sure he would've taken notes if he could've and she had giggled at the mental image of him with glasses, a notebook, and a pencil, sitting at a desk in a uniform.

The twin bonfires on either side of the shrine were blazing away already and the smell of a roasting meat immediately hit her nose. She suddenly remembered how hungry she was. Had she eaten lunch? Maybe breakfast before going to Sango's house but-

The thought was abruptly ended when a clearing throat brought her gaze up from her feet.

Inuyasha was suddenly there, filling her gaze and blocking all else from view. Kagome's breath caught in her throat and she forgot how to speak. All of the blood pumping through her body was suddenly stolen by her blushing face. He took her hand gently from her companion's and raised it to his lips, kissing it gently.

He was drinking her in before he ever turned from the bachelors conversation to claim her. Her nervousness. Crisp yuzu. Her excitement. Juniper. Her modest arousal after seeing him. An ocean breeze. He swallowed the growl that nearly escaped.

"Hey... Kagome."

She remembered to breathe and took him in. He was staring right into her clear, blue eyes with his own. Honey. Amber. Sunrise. Heat. He was holding her gaze and waiting for her to speak. She vaguely noted that he was wearing all black haori with silver-striped black hakama and it suited him. No shoes. He never did wear shoes. His lightly tanned skin stood out against the dark colored clothing and the exposed forearm reaching for her rippled as he rubbed circles with his thumb on her hand. His silver hair was combed but still left long and free. His silhouette was catching the firelight, giving him an aura of deep amber to match his beautiful eyes. His ears stood straight on his head and were trained in her direction.

He was dressed for the ceremony and he had apparently taken great care to be presentable. He was gorgeous.

His claws brushed against the underside of her hand as he moved to stand beside her. He was deadly.

He looped her arm through his and never broke his gaze. He was hers.

"Good evening, Inuyasha." Her mouth was strangely dry and hot.

"Are you ready?" he asked hesitantly, never losing her eyes.

"Yes." she whispered, face breaking into a hopeful smile.

The couple turned together to face the shrine. Kagome wondered when Sango had left her to stand near the door with the children. Inuyasha cleared his throat to her left, breaking the spell their meeting had cast. They reached the shrine doors and saw Miroku and Kaede standing at the back of the room, waiting patiently for them. These were important steps. The last steps they would take before becoming husband and wife.

Kagome tread carefully as they ascended to the shrine. She looked over at Sango surrounded by the children and smiled. Shippou was happily sitting on Sango's shoulder and Kagome reached out to touch his face before leaning forward and giving him a kiss on the cheek. Inuyasha nodded to them beside her and then turned toward the altar at the back of the shrine. He blushed furiously when Miroku winked at him from way back there, shaking his head and clicking his tongue.

_'This is tough enough, Miroku. Damn.'_ Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

Refocusing through the doors, the incense burners lined the walkway to the small altar. No one else was inside as neither one of them had parents or other family who could or would attend.

Incense drifted hazily up into the rafters and settled along the floor before slinking out through the open screens to the left and right of the altar. Kagome glanced at her future husband to see how he was taking the strong perfume of the incense but he only wrinkled his nose ever so slightly before tilting his head to look at her. His eyes softened and he knew her concern and appreciated it.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it. At least the party's outside though…" he smirked.

"Okay." She smiled back, squeezing his arm slightly.

The villagers had moved in from the yard to watch the ceremony from outside under the overhang. Hushed discussions could be heard but most were attempting to be interested without causing disruption. Kids pushed to see at the front, while others stood close to their loved ones and shared in the love rekindled by the wedding.

Kagome and Inuyasha didn't notice any of the others present. As they reached Miroku and the elderly priestess, they turned to look at each other and were lost to the ceremony. Minutes passed as attention was called, rites were read, and vows were taken. There were no unnecessary words tonight. Miroku's gentle timbre was the steady accompaniment to their promises during the ceremony.

With each touch and declaration, they were bound tighter, brought closer, and made into one. Hands clasped and were wrapped together. Sake was shared. Time seemed to stand still for the couple, dutifully completing each phase of the ceremony carefully and reverently.

When the time came for gifts, Kagome was first. She had come back to the past with nothing and hers wasn't so much a gift as a promise of trust. She reached forward and entangled her fingers in his haori. His eyes widened at her touch. Not his haori. The kotodama.

The subjugation necklace had saved her life in the beginning. It had saved his life later. But the time for that was over. There was peace between them and conflict in small measure in their little corner of Japan. Marriage was about balance and they couldn't start a life together while Kagome felt she had power over him.

"After today you are my husband. I will never forget our history but these don't belong in our future. I should have removed them before now, Inuyasha, and I'm sorry but I want you to feel how much I love and trust you from this day forward and these only stand to remind us of a time when I did not."

She lifted them gently from under his haori and up his neck before he conscientiously bent down so she could lift them all the way over his head. She fingered them for a second, memorizing their weight and smoothness, before handing them over to Kaede, who took them with a small bow and tucked them in her sleeve. He grinned when their eyes met again, love shining in his just for her. He might actually miss them. The weight of them and their presence had reminded him of Kagome every day while she was absent.

Miroku cleared his throat and produced a small package from his sleeve then. Inuyasha reached out and took it gently from the monk's hand. He stared down at it for a second before squaring his shoulders to Kagome again.

"When things got really bad, you trapped… at home and me trapped here, the sacred tree connected us anyway. I'm still not sure how but it's been an important place for us in the past and since we're starting our life together here, it'll probably be important to us in the future too. It's not much but… I want to give you this: a reminder of our special place."

He unwrapped the cloth in his hand and nervously held out his gift to her. She spied the silver hair comb and was immediately thrilled.

"Oh, Inuyasha, thank you! It's beautiful…"

In his palm laid a silver hair comb inlaid with small, white blossoms cresting in a mound over delicate tines. The blossoms did indeed look like those rare flowers of the Goshinboku. She was reminded of the day he had asked her to marry him and she had so fondly touched the tree that was such a big part of their lives.

Inuyasha picked up the comb and tucked the cloth away in his sleeve. He reached forward and tucked the comb neatly in her hair on the right and appraised its placement before stepping back. She had kept her hands to herself, folded neatly in front of her despite the almost overwhelming urge to hug his neck.

As Miroku finished the rites, they looked hopefully at one another.

"And now you are bound to each other, eternally, as husband and wife. May you have many long and fruitful years, and may the blessings of the kami shine down upon your marriage. Congratulations, my dear friends." he smiled warmly then and grasped each of their shoulders with a warm hand.

Finally, with warm cheeks, hands, and hearts, they embraced each other and shared their first kiss as husband and wife. It was chaste in comparison to some of their stolen kisses but Kagome wanted to remember this as a kiss that bound them together neatly, not lustily. Inuyasha was too overwhelmed to notice how their lips met and their marriage was sealed.

Miroku was the first to break the silence. "And now to celebrate the couple, everyone, please join us for a feast in celebration!" He gestured to the crowd who was now modestly clapping and cheering. Having witnessed such a heartfelt ceremony and seeing the exemplary normality the odd couple displayed, the villagers wouldn't hesitate as much to think of the newlyweds as some of their own.

Kagome would reflect later on the detriments of drinking sake and missing a midday meal but for now, she was pleasantly tingly and warm and looking forward to the feast outside. Inuyasha was faring better having been hunting only hours before, for himself and the feast, with nothing else much to do and no preening to worry over.

Kaede began cleaning up the altar as Inuyasha and Kagome stood there accepting congratulations from the village headman and his wife and a few others they were familiar with. Sango came to join Miroku with the children and hugged Kagome and Inuyasha in turn. He looked decidedly more sheepish about the hug but accepted it with a smile.

Shippou tugged on the hem of her kimono shyly and she bent down to pick him up. He hugged her neck and patted Inuyasha on the shoulder.

"Congratulations, you two! Glad Inuyasha finally got some sense in his head and married you, Kagome." Shippou closed his eyes and adopted a convincing look of superiority.

"I'm too happy tonight to smack you for that one, kid. You're right, actually." Inuyasha offered.

Shippou couldn't believe he was hearing something so… rational come from Inuyasha. Kagome was beaming next to him and Shippou suddenly became worried about his place in their lives now that things were changing.

"What's with the long face, Shippou-chan?" Kagome asked.

"Well, now that you're married, what am I gonna do?"

"What do you mean, runt? You wanna move out?" Inuyasha folded his arms.

"No, I don't **want** to but aren't you gonna want me to?" Shippou suddenly became interested in the hem of his coat.

The newlyweds shared a knowing look and Kagome hugged him tighter, tilting his chin up to look at her.

"Never, kiddo. You're mine and I love you, and **he** won't say it but he loves you too. You always have a place with us in our home. Don't ever worry about that, okay?"

Shippou was sniffling before she finished. "O- _hic_ -kay, Kagome…" He nuzzled into her neck and stayed there quietly for a few minutes. She patted his back and let him hide until he was better.

As Kaede finished cleaning up, she set down the remnants of the alter table and slowly stepped over to the couple. Handshaking was halted as the elder miko commanded their attention with only her silence.

"Congratulations, Kagome-sama and Inuyasha. You have been married on a most auspicious night and amidst the love of friends. It is my wish ye'll be well and have a long and happy life together." She bowed her head and smiled at the couple.

Inuyasha shocked her by bowing right back just as low as Kaede.

"We owe you so much, Kaede-sama, and I thank you. I know I was… Well, we had a rough start and I hurt you but I'm glad you're still around. I'm glad you're helping Kagome and I'm glad you were here tonight."

Kaede was shocked but recovered and nodded her acknowledgment of his honest words.

"If it hadn't been for you, we might never have worked together at all. Kami, I might not even be alive! So, I thank you too, Kaede-sama, for your support and guidance now and in the past." Kagome bowed too. The old priestess was owed so much in return for her help over the years.

"You are both most welcome. Please, now go enjoy your feast!" Kaede nodded to Kagome, feeling awkward at the attention, then shuffled off to put the ceremonial items away.

Finally, the crowd inside the shrine began to dissipate and Kagome and Inuyasha were left mostly alone. Now that sake was flowing warmly through their veins, the conversation turned to one of honest relief. Shippou hugged Kagome's neck one more time and then caught sight of Rin and bounded out the door.

"Bye, mama!" he called easily and automatically. She froze and her heart melted. He hadn't even noticed he'd done it. He finally felt safe and loved. When he was out of sight, Kagome turned back to Inuyasha.

"Gah. I'm glad that's over…" Inuyasha sighed, gathering her in his arms and resting his head on top of hers.

"I am too! I was so nervous today, Sango had to talk me down." She turned her head up to kiss his jaw and he angled his face down to nuzzle her cheek. "I like this new, affectionate Inuyasha. Where's he been all this time?" She closed her eyes and breathed in his natural scent, plainly there even through the new clothes.

"He was right here, waiting for you to come back through the well, woman. But now you're here so get ready. It just feels right, touching you all the time. I like it. Gives me peace. That okay?" He threaded his fingers through her hair and moved his other hand down her back just a little lower than he had ever dared before.

"Mm hmm, especially when you do **that**." She nipped at his jaw then and he swore.

"Damn. Much more of that and we're gonna miss our own party. Come on, **wife**, let's go."

"If you say so, **husband**, and I definitely should eat something. I think I forgot to eat all day." Kagome said as she grabbed her stomach. "Nerves."

He laughed then. "Fine, food first then we skip out early, right?" He blushed a little at what he knew he was implying but he didn't care. Four years was long enough to wait right? Surely the gods wouldn't blame them for cutting a dinner a little short in light of the evils they had thwarted…

…

"Is Miroku drunk?" Kagome whispered into Sango's ear.

"Ha! No, he's just uninhibited with his children, you know that. At least, I haven't **seen** him drinking anyway." Sango put a thoughtful finger to her cheek.

Miroku was dancing animatedly with his daughters around one of the bonfires, now burning lower than before and tolerable to stand near. As he twirled them both around, they cackled with laughter and fell down to the ground when he released them, too dizzy to stand anymore.

Sango turned to her friend and smiled. Kagome had changed out of the white kosode and was now just wearing a three-quarter sleeve gold kimono and red obi, tenderly hugging Shippou in her arms as she watched Miroku's antics with his children. Inuyasha was standing behind her, one hand on her shoulder, looking stoic and but grinning at his friend.

"Kagome, I'm getting tired…" Shippou's admission was cut off by a fang-revealing yawn.

"I bet. I heard you were a big help starting early this morning and now it's time for bed, I think."

"Mm hmm…" he trailed off.

"Here, Kagome-chan, let me take him home. It's time for Komori to go to bed too. Past time." she gestured to the baby asleep over her shoulder and reached out her free arm to wiggle Shippou to rest on her other shoulder.

"He's so sweet. Such a good baby." Kagome said, stroking Komori's soft head with her fingers. She had a brief daydream of a baby with white hair and small, pointed ears atop a soft head-

_'Nope, too soon! Down, girl…'_ she thought quickly.

Not quickly enough though before the thoughts affected her physically and her arousal drifted up to tease her husband. His hands moved down to the swell of her hips and squeezed roughly while Sango was distracted shuffling the children. He leaned forward, lips brushing her ear.

"Are you ready to leave?" The husky voice that asked that question did more wonderful things to her scent.

The proximity of his mouth to her ear made her pulse jump as she registered the pressure on her hips and the need it communicated.

"Mm hmm…" she mumbled. She leaned around her husband. "Sango, thanks for- um, for taking Shippou tonight. We'll come get him in the morning."

"Take your time, Kagome. The kids will sleep a little later than usual after a party like this." Sango waved them off with a knowing smirk.

"Thanks, and tell Miroku thanks again and good night. He seems to be having too good a time!"

Inuyasha released Kagome and stepped around to give Sango a one-armed hug.

"Thanks for today, and for setting her straight. You're a good friend, Sango." He said it quietly but it was heartfelt.

Sango nodded, bewildered. "Thanks, Inuyasha. Now go! Get out of here! We'll see you tomorrow." She winked at Kagome as Inuyasha turned the little priestess around and started towards the steps.

The couple walked hand in hand until they reached the steps when Inuyasha suddenly shifted, scooped her up in his arms, and leapt down the stairs in one smooth movement. He looked down at her, chest flush with the heat of the night and his surprise acrobatics, and he sent the question with his eyes. She nodded slowly and smiled at him, tightening her arms around his neck. No more time was wasted as he sprinted back to their house with his bride in his arms.

He didn't bother with the front door but bounded around to the side. To his bedroom. To their bedroom.

As he settled her on her feet, she smoothed her hair nervously and he stepped forward to hold the curtain open for her. She fidgeted with her obi for a second and took the first step forward into the house. He followed close behind her and let the screen fall behind them. There was no fire lit in the brazier so the room was dark except for the bright, full moonlight radiating in through the window.

Kagome removed her sandals and tabi, and spun on her heel to stare out the window at the field outside. She was aware of some rustling noise behind her Inuyasha was making but was entranced, truly, in the beauty of the night view. The fireflies were dancing among the tall grasses, lifted and lowered with the night breeze as it swept through. Her bangs fluttered with the breeze and the edges of her hair moved in wisps around her face and shoulders. She was still breathing in the cooler night air when large hands found their way to her hips from behind and slid up to frame her waist.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. It's so beautiful here, Inuyasha. Tonight was amazing. You were amazing." She spun in his arms to face him.

"I can behave when I have to." He shrugged. "Tonight was important. We've waited so long to be together that I wanted to make sure it was right. That you were happy." he said, unsure.

"Mmm, you were wonderful. I **am** happy. I imagine I'll be happy for a long time." She stood up on tiptoes to kiss him. Her hands found his haori and fisted her hands in it.

He deepened the kiss then, cupping her head with one hand and moving the other down to touch her backside. She gasped and pulled back to look at him, totally surprised at his sudden boldness. His eyes flashed with fear of her rejection but they were darker and half-lidded, warm with desire now that they were alone in the house he had built for them. She smiled back up at him, trying to stifle her virginal shyness, and moved her hands inside his haori. She shifted it away from his shoulders and he let her go to straighten his arms and allow it to fall to the floor.

"Gods, you smell so good. You always have but now…" He inhaled deeply at her neck.

His arms had grown thicker since finishing the house, more gathered with smooth muscle and more tanned with the work outside. She ran her hands up his exposed forearms and biceps. He shivered at her gentle touches on bare skin and let her explore. This was the first of many nights of exploration and he was determined to savor it. When her hands came up to touch his chest, she bent forward and kissed his breastbone, trailing kisses up to his neck. He groaned under her lips and reached around her to untie her obi. As it slid to the floor, she found his lips again. More needy, warmer, more breathless. While she was still entangled in his mouth, she parted her kimono and let it slide to the floor, the raspy sound of fabric on skin filling the room for a second and it was over.

He broke the kiss then. "My turn." he said firmly. And his hands left her waist and found the ties of his hakama. As he slid them down and away, Kagome took the chance to settle her nerves and hang up her kimono too. It wouldn't do for the one heirloom she had obtained here to be ruined. She turned away from him and gathered the gold kimono from the floor, briefly fingering the fine fabric before hanging it up on one of the pegs placed inside the door. She placed a hand over her heart to steady its hammering rhythm. He had disappeared for a moment and she took the chance to bolster her confidence.

_'You can do this, Kagome. He's your husband and you are **not** a coward.'_ She heard the brazier being lit and some more shuffling behind her.

She turned around to find him again and found him… all of him. Naked and standing in the middle of the room. He was combing his hair back with one hand, ears flat against his head. Her eyes quickly traveled south before she blinked and forced them upward. His shoulders bulged as his hands combed through his hair and a toned chest tightened and gathered up to his collarbone. His abs were visible but neatly flush with the rest of his torso. His hips were narrow, visible hipbones trimmed with muscled lines leading down to…

"Your turn." he said lowly, striding over to her. His face was flush with embarrassment like hers but he seemed to determined not to let her feel alone in it.

"O- Okay." was all she could get out. She removed her sash and let the under-kimono slide off her shoulders to crumple to the floor.

Kagome had worn the modern underwear she was used to under everything else as a matter of comfort. She knew they were modestly attractive and they reminded her of where she came from and how she'd gotten here. She was glad to have worn them now because it meant she wasn't entirely naked yet and the look in his eyes told her she'd chosen right. The desire written there was obvious and as the moment dragged on, she was less sure what to do. He removed her doubt.

Inuyasha reached out and pulled her into a kiss, deeply and surely, and she felt herself lifted from the floor and placed on his- **their** futon. She didn't remember seeing him laying it out but there it was, cradling them both. He laid her on her back and then hovered over her, caging her between his arms and kissing his way down her neck.

When he reached the swell of her breasts, he didn't pause. If his shy bride was going to hesitate, he would gladly take the initiative. His instincts told him to pay her luscious mounds special attention. Slipping one hand underneath the silky bra, he tested her response by gently squeezing and he was rewarded as she moaned and gasped, pushing herself forcefully into his hand. He pulled her free of the bra and took her into his mouth, feeling her nipple grow harder as he played with her. He teased her nipple with his teeth and was rewarded again as she groaned her desire for him to continue. Kagome reached behind her and unclasped the thin bra and when she was free of it, he lifted his head to take her in.

"Kagome… So beautiful."

He leaned back down and kissed over both breasts, teasing her nipples lightly as he passed over them. She was breathing harder now and looking at him almost pleadingly. None of him was in reach as he hovered over her so she grabbed his face and brought him back to her waiting mouth. She was crossing the threshold of shyness and finding her courage to explore him, too. He stayed as she grabbed his arms to hold him in place and started peppering his neck with light and uncertain kisses. He closed his eyes and groaned at the feeling of her moist lips trailing such a vulnerable spot. When she stalled, they locked eyes and he slid down her body, curiously watching her reaction to his movements.

He continued to move lower down her flat stomach, down past her navel, tracing the pale and jagged scar under her rib cage. When his mouth reached the waistline of her panties, he hooked a finger under them and began to drag them down. She accommodated him by lifting her hips off the floor and let him drag them torturously slowly down her legs before tossing them… somewhere. He sat up then, curiously and hungrily staring at her now her totally exposed body. Her arousal was thick in the air and every breath brought more to his sensitive nose. Her natural scent of rain water and camelias was layered thickly around her but added was the scent of sun-kissed ocean water. Heat and warmth and heady, dark scents of the ocean. It was intoxicating.

The brazier was warming the room now but that did nothing for the nervous shivers that wracked Kagome. Inuyasha laid down at her waist and trailed his lips over her hips, sending a questioning gaze up to her unsure sapphire eyes. She nodded with apprehension and he was instantly moving lower. Her small patch of dark curls was obstructing his view of her so he nudged her pale thighs apart with warm hands, kissing and nipping from her knee towards her sex. Her arousal was clouding his mind now. His time would come later, for now, he had a need to satisfy Kagome. Without questioning, he dove towards her slick folds, tongue laving her slowly as he tasted his wife for the first time.

"Oh! Oh gods, Inuyasha… Yes…"

He was encouraged by her reaction and growled his approval. Testing her from top to bottom with a determined tongue, she gasped loudly as he neared the upper hood of her sex. He stilled there and flattened his tongue against her. She gasped and bucked against his mouth, reaching down to fist her hands in his hair. The tension and abuse of his hair was causing his control to loosen. He sped up the movements of his tongue. Torturous circles and shallow sucking were making her legs begin to quiver around him. She was slick now from his attention and her desire, and her hips began to twitch. He knew she was working up to something wonderful and grabbed her hips with both hands to still her. He dove back in with determination and she grew louder and louder.

"No, please don't stop! Gods, don't stop… Ahhh!"

And then suddenly her body stilled, breasts heaving. The taste of her lingered on his tongue and he was drunk with it. When Inuyasha looked up lazily from her thighs to see her face, he felt a swell of manly pride. Gods, she was beautiful. His wife's face was flushed and her eyes fluttered closed, mouth parted as she recovered her breath. Her breasts were blushing from his attention only minutes before. Small hands were laid on her stomach after being tangled roughly in his hair. It was only after he took in the beauty of his spent wife that he noticed his own need was becoming painful and demanded attention.

Inuyasha crawled up and kissed her. She lifted her hands up to tangle in his silver hair once more and warmly kissed him in return. She could taste herself on his lips and pulled away to meet his eyes. Amber pools reflected happiness and warmth back to her. He leaned down to nuzzle her cheek and breathe in the scent of her again.

Raising herself up to deepen the kiss this time, Kagome's hips shifted and her wet core brushed against him. He hissed at the contact. Her attention was drawn to his impressive length and she shyly reached between them, meeting his eyes. When her small hand closed around him, he growled at the foreign but euphoric feeling.

"Oh, sorry. Did I hurt you?"

"The last thing… that did… was hurt. Dammit, woman."

Encouraged by his reaction, she gripped him again and slid her hand up towards his stomach. His eyes closed and he groaned. She had a thought and brought her hand to her mouth. His eyes were still closed, guessing what she was doing, but when she closed her wet hand around his shaft and stroked him, they flew open and he moaned above her. The needy look in his eyes made her own need throb again and she squeezed her long legs together around his knees.

"Please? I need you…" she gasped.

She swallowed and relaxed after a second, loosening the angle of her thighs and leaned up to kiss him, letting him know it was what she wanted and she was ready. He nodded and buried his face in her neck as she scooted down under him.

"Me, too. Fuck, me too." he groaned. Exploration was one thing but he was dying.

He found her eyes and laid his hard length against her sex, stroking her slowly and allowing her to feel him for the first time. As his shaft brushed against her core, she moaned and grew slicker against him. He shifted his hips and pressed his head against her. She bit her lip in anticipation but kept his gaze as he pressed forward. Painfully slowly, he entered her and watched her, intent on not causing her more pain than necessary. When she loosed a 'hmm' of discomfort and knit her eyebrows together, he pulled back a little and searched her face.

"I'm okay… Don't stop." She stroked the side of his face and gazed lovingly up at him.

He lowered his lips to hers and languidly slipped his tongue into her mouth. She responded eagerly to the kiss and the connection. He drew himself back and then slowly pressed again. She didn't make any noises of discomfort as he pressed until he found resistance at her maidenhead. She dug her nails into his arms then but asked him to go on. He pressed again and swiftly finished sheathing himself inside her. She cried out then and breathed heavily for a second, eyes scrunched shut and biting her bottom lip. He was trapped between feeling horrible for hurting her and ecstasy at the feeling of filling her tight, wet core. He was stilled by the scent of her tears and blood, and the swift intake of her breath.

"I'm sorry, koibito." He kissed her eyes, licking at her tears and nuzzled her cheek and into her hair.

He kept kissing and caressing her until she shifted her hips under him. He gave a torturously slow, shallow thrust and she dug her nails into his arms at first. The more slow thrusts he made, the less she pinched her eyes and the more she relaxed around him. Gods, this was sweet torture. Instinct started to quicken his thrusts as she grew wetter for him, her fingers began to caress instead of abuse his arms, and she moved her hands to pull him down.

"Can you come closer? I want to hold you…" she requested, blinking rapidly and blushing deeper.

"Kagome…" He was shivering with the effort of holding back now. His brain was telling him to be gentle and slow but his member was demanding he fuck her _**now**_.

He came down to rest on his elbows, stomach lying flush with hers, her breasts pressed against his hard chest, hips never leaving contact with one another. She clasped her hands around his ribs, and up and around to cup his shoulders.

He pulled out almost all the way this time and slowly fed himself into her again. She moaned at the penetration and he felt himself losing the will to go so slowly. He tried again and when she hooked her right leg over his hips and she whispered "Yes…," he let his instincts take over and thrust harder. She panted and closed her eyes. He tried again in rhythm and the sight of her breasts bouncing as their hips made contact was too much.

"Kagome, I can't hold back anymore…" he growled to punctuate the request.

"Don't. I want you… Please."

She hooked her left leg around his hips and pulled him down, deepening their contact. When he gasped at the feeling, she lifted her hips to meet him and he was undone. The feeling of her against him, under him, around him. The new angle let him penetrate deeper and deeper, and she met him time after time. He growled lower now, grunting with the effort not to dominate her as his instincts demanded he should.

Driving into her over and over, he could feel the tightening coil of his orgasm building. Turning his attention to Kagome, her head was thrown back, exposing her throat as she gasped at their lovemaking. He tucked his head into her neck and nipped her there over and over, satisfying some instinctual urge he didn't understand.

She yelled his name as he attacked her neck and he surged forward harder, arousal spiking at her cries of pleasure. Her screams became louder and more desperate. He was nearing his own end but was determined to bring her with him. He set a more bruising pace, flesh meeting flesh with wet and sultry sounds in the dark room, his grunts of control and her moaning. Finally, blissfully, she came apart beneath him, blunt nails digging into his back as she cried out.

He was nearly undone but hearing her and feeling her clench and spasm all around him, he abandoned the comfort of laying on top of her and kneeled on the futon instead, gazing possessively down at his Kagome. Grabbing her hips with both hands, he began to roughly pound into her at an even faster pace. She reached up and braced her hands against the wall to steady herself.

She was so wet, so tight still after coming for him that it wasn't long before his new position left him groaning towards his own end. Sheathing himself to the hilt, he cried out and growled through his orgasm, his claws prickling her sensitive skin and drawing tiny beads of blood where he held her.

As the spasm left him, he opened his eyes to see her smiling and limp below him. Her arms beckoned him to lay down with her. She gasped at the feeling of his erection leaving her and clenched shaking knees together. Between pants and shudders, he laid on her left side and she cradled him there, stroking his hair and kissing his head as he struggled to regain his breath.

"You… ok?" he managed. He glanced down to the claw marks on her hips. "Sorry about that…"

"It doesn't hurt that much. It's okay. Better than okay." She tilted his chin up from her shoulder and kissed him sweetly. "I love you so much."

"Mmm. That was worth the wait." he panted.

"That was… wonderful. How are we ever gonna leave this room?" she giggled.

"Well, we have to eat at some point but other than that…" he gave her a suggestive grin.

She giggled at him. "Enough of that. You'll end up like Miroku."

"You started it. That lecher had a lot to say this morning, let me tell you. I pity Sango now, honestly."

She gasped dramatically. "Stop that! That's my friend, thank you very much." She paused thoughtfully then added "But they do have three kids so I guess it can't be all bad."

"Now who's the lecher?" he quirked an eyebrow at her and laughed.

She giggled again and then broke it with a big yawn. "I'm so tired all of a sudden…" She closed her eyes and laid back against the futon.

"I bet you are. I am too, honestly." He let out a fanged yawn of his own. "And I bet Shippou will be here bright and early tomorrow no matter how much partying they did tonight."

"I never have thanked you for taking him in since the house was finished." She was combing his hair with her fingers but sighed contentedly. "It really means a lot to me. He's been left so many times in his life, I'm glad he'll always have a home to come back to." She stroked his hair some more and traced patterns across his chest with her free hand.

"Mmm, no kid should grow up without someone to look after them. He was lucky it was you that day."

"I do love you so much, you know?"

He stuttered a little. "I… I love you too, Kagome."

Embarrassed, Inuyasha rolled up and out of bed then and found his yukata and the quilt for the futon. He came back and handed her the modern underwear and the nagajuban to get dressed.

"I can't get dressed yet actually. I've gotta wash up a little first..." She grimaced a little as she sat up in the bed.

"Oh right, hold on. Sorry. I'll get something."

He left to find a towel and get some cool water. After washing herself and the futon, she redressed and they snuggled together, falling deep asleep together for the first time as husband and wife.

...

**Author's Note:** First lemon ever. I have some work to do but it gets the point across, right?


	4. Chapter 4 - Stellar

**Author's Note**: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

2020/03/22 - Added some conversation and some detail. Doesn't change the overall story but helps clarify a little.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 4 - Stellar**

A few months later…

Kagome stared down into the Bone Eater's Well with trepidation and hope. She could feel the magic stirring there once again but had no idea what it could mean. If she left here and went back to the 20th century now, what would happen?

_'I can't risk not being able to come back. Shippou and the others would be devastated. Inuyasha could come with me, I think, but we could be separated again without warning. I can't do that to him. Damn it, I had made my decision and not being able to go back was easier than wondering…'_

She sat on the edge of the well and closed her eyes, reaching out with her reiki as best she could to investigate the well. The pull felt like before: the rippling undertow of the magic that swept her from this time to the modern era, and the unfathomable bright expanse beyond the well itself that would envelop her as she traveled. Somewhere within that chasm of light was her first home, but she had a home here now, too.

"Kagome-sama, what is wrong?" Rin asked.

Kagome startled out of her reverie. "Oh! Nothing, Rin-chan. I thought I heard something in the well but it looks like nothing. Let's take Kaede's laundry back to her and get started on those salves, okay?"

"Right, Kagome-sama. Rin is ready to help!"

"'I am ready to help,' Rin. Try it again."

"Right. I am ready to help!" She parroted and pumped a small fist in the air.

"Very good."

Kagome laughed but realized that such childish displays would soon become a thing of the past for Rin. She was so much taller now, so much less like a little girl. A gangly adolescent blossoming into a young woman. Her warm, brown eyes were flecked with gold and her dark hair was loose now and had grown out straight down her back. She was a lovely young woman but was still often very much alone. The influence of her daiyoukai protector never left her side. Visitors that came through the village were warm enough with her but village residents kept her at arm's length in fear of drawing attention to themselves through her. Shippou was the exception, of course. He knew both Rin and Sesshoumaru and was comfortable with her. Shippou was spending so many months at school now that the girl was left with only Kagome and the aging miko for company. Inuyasha's yell broke through her thoughts.

"Oi, Kagome!" Inuyasha called from across the clearing. He was sprinting toward her with a worried look.

Time to divert attention so she and her husband could talk.

"Rin, can you take Kaede's laundry to her ahead of me? Sounds like Inuyasha wants to talk for a moment." She offered some things from her own basket.

"Sure thing, Kagome-sama. Rin will see you later!" She took the clothes from Kagome and continued on toward the village.

"I felt your aura from across the village. What are you- Oh. Wow." He stilled, staring into the depths of the well with a wide-eyed look.

"Yeah, I know. You can feel it too can't you?" She laid a hand on his arm as he peered in.

"Yeah… but why now? And how?" Golden eyes found her face to see her reaction.

She shook her head. "I have no idea. I was washing clothes, of all things, across the river and I felt it suddenly open. It was almost like… it was calling me back. I can't explain it. I was never certain that my last trip **was** my last trip, remember?"

Inuyasha pulled her gently to him beside the well. "Do you wanna go?" The questions were all there in his eyes.

_'Should we risk it? _

_What if you can't come back? _

_Do you miss your family enough to leave me here?'_

She laid her hand on his cheek to comfort him. "Goodness, you feel too warm! Do you have a fever?" She moved her hand to his forehead.

"Nah, just been running here. Demons don't **get** fevers, wench." He quickly dismissed her fear.

"But half-demons might. You've been ill before, don't forget."

She shrugged and then faced him seriously. "Of course, I'd love to see my family again but I can't risk not being able to come back to you. And Shippou. And the others. What would I do if I were trapped over there again?" She hugged herself, feeling afraid.

He visibly relaxed and exhaled and reached out to hold her close. "Can I come with you? If this is your chance to see them, to be able to see them all, I can't make you make that choice between me and your family. We should try. But I won't be leaving you alone, got that?"

"Mm hmm, I hear you." Her face brushed against his chest as she nodded her understanding. "But we should tell everyone before we go, just in case. Shippou is away at school but I'll write him a letter explaining everything and leave it with Sango. With any luck, we'll be back before he comes to visit and he'll never have to read it."

"I hate to leave the kid but Sango and Miroku are here and they'll look after him, no matter what."

_'If the worst happens.'_ They both thought about Shippou and what that would do to him. It was a serious consideration.

Kagome turned away from the well and straightened her fern green yukata out in front. "Oh wait, hold on…" She walked around to the side of the well and fetched the basket of sun-warmed, damp laundry. She hefted it up on her hip and started down the hill.

"Okay, well I'll go home and get ready. Wait, what were you doing out here? Aren't you working with Kuroda-san on his barn today?" She stepped carefully, glancing around the basket every few steps.

"Keh. We finished that hours ago. Man likes to gab too much. Asked one too many questions about you for my liking." he grumbled.

Inuyasha grabbed the basket from her and held it up with one hand, smirking at her when she blushed and shook her head, grinning, at his clear attempt to impress.

_'Oh yeah?'_ she thought.

She stepped in front of him and kissed him soundly but sweetly. He stuttered and nearly dropped the basket then when the blood rushed to his face.

"Gotcha!" she chirped back at him, laughing and padding lightly down the road ahead.

"Oh just you wait, woman!"

And they chased each other all the way back to the village.

…

"Kagome-chan, are you sure?" Sango asked.

"Yes." The young priestess nodded resolutely. "I'll wonder 'why' forever if I don't go. Inuyasha is going with me and even if it traps us there this time, I'm hopeful it'll open back up soon. I came back less than a year ago and it's open again already. Maybe my family needs me back there. I'm sorry I don't have the answers but I feel like it's important that I go. We can tell them we got married in person," she smiled, "and I can see my mother and brother and my grandfather again…"

She reached out for Inuyasha's hand as they sat near each other on the floor telling Sango and Miroku about their plan to leave and attempt to travel through the well.

"I'm going with her and I promised her we'd try. I don't like leaving so much on you guys but watch after the kid if he comes home and don't let anyone move in to the house, right? We'll be back as soon as we can, no matter what."

"Of course, Inuyasha. It is no trouble at all. Please have a safe journey, my friends, and come see us as soon as you get back." Miroku nodded, trying not to look worried. Inuyasha nodded.

There were a few hours of daylight left so they could pack and leave before sunset. Kagome packed the modern clothes she had arrived in all those months ago and they took the food they had in the house to Sango and Miroku as thanks for their help. Inuyasha armed himself in the Robe of Fire Rat and Tessaiga. The future was safe enough but Tessaiga was so much more than just a sword to him now…

Sometime in the late afternoon, they were facing the well. Inuyasha felt real fear. She was here and they were safe and had a life together. Was it worth it to do this?

"Inuyasha, you're hurting my hand… Ouch!"

"Ah, sorry. This is just… scary." He hugged her to him so she couldn't see how scared he actually was.

"I know but we'll be ok. If something happens, I'll find my way back. You'd find me too, right? No matter what?" Kagome placed both hands on his chest in reassurance.

"Obviously. You can't get rid of me now, **wife**." Inuyasha scooped her up in his arms, cradling her tightly to him. "Just- Just let me, okay?"

"Ok then." she nodded. "Ready?" He nodded, too, not making a sound. "1… 2… 3… Jump!"

Kagome felt him leap and watched the hillside disappear over the lip of the well. She smelled the cool, damp of the well as they fell into darkness. Inuyasha's feet never found the Sengoku Era well floor and they were soon falling through time. She opened her eyes to see the familiar expanse of sky-blue light and felt the strong current of the magic. When she smiled up at him, he only kept his shallow scowl and stared toward the approaching breach in the light. When his feet hit the dirt, she sighed in relief but immediately, and jarringly, he was up and out of the well and had dashed out the door of the well house. Slamming the door closed with a bare foot, he finally exhaled a breath and set her down on her feet. The journey was over in a second but it felt like a lifetime.

"What was that all about?" she peered up him curiously.

His fists clenched at his sides and he couldn't look her in the eye. "Last time, I spent two seconds too long in the well and we were separated for three years. I couldn't take that chance again."

Her heart broke a little as she remembered the moment he was ripped away from her and back through the well. She understood exactly how he felt, of course, and realized she hadn't fully considered the trauma from his perspective.

"It's okay, I'm still here and we're still together, right?" She hugged him tightly so he'd know without a doubt she was still here.

"Yeah, sorry." He hugger her back and then sighed again. "Anyway, wait until your family- Wait, what the hell?!" He sniffed lightly at the air in the yard before taking a deeper breath. Confusion and anger crossed his face. "What the hell's my bastard half-brother been doing here?!"

"What? Sesshoumaru's been here? He's alive?" Kagome looked around like he might appear at any second. She was almost hopeful but her hand found her chin in thought. "But I've never seen him here before and I've tried searching out demons several times over the last three years…"

…

Hours earlier in Tokyo…

"**You** said we couldn't see them, remember?! 'Timeline-altering cataclysm' might have been your exact phrasing, Sesshoumaru!"

"I remember what was discussed, kit. Calm yourself."

"But **you** made the rule! I haven't pressed seeing my mother on any of her trips back since we met because **you** said it was forbidden and dangerous! But now that you see a need, you get to go see them both and I have to stay here?!" Shippou was shouting at the deadliest youkai still living from across the small room and he didn't care.

"I am not going for pleasure. Events of the past may be brought to heel if I can arm them with information in time. The next time they are able to travel may be the most critical. In fact, I am certain it is." His clawed hand was at his chin, still considering.

Sesshoumaru appeared unruffled by the shouting of the fox but he was in turmoil. It was true: he had said not to disrupt events at the Higurashi shrine at all costs. Not to interfere or to reveal anything. He was definitely circumventing his own order but it was the smallest thing he could do and still maintain a safe margin of error.

"But he's coming too, right? Can't you just keep him here? We can help him now. We **should**. It's cruel…" Shippou lost the will to stand anymore and sank into a kitchen chair across from the daiyoukai. Clawed hands held his head up and hid his face as the anguish gripped the kitsune again. "Inuyasha… he deserves better."

"We cannot. Much happens in the past that cannot and should not be undone. Providing them with this information changes very little. Preventing what comes next could be…" Sesshoumaru gave a longing look to a framed picture in the corner. "I do not know what that would change but events **have** to unfold in the Feudal Era for the present to be as it is now. They **must** return."

Sesshoumaru walked to the window and stared down at the city below then shifted ageless citrine eyes to the hazy sky above. He closed his eyes and remembered running and howling through the empty, unpolluted sky as far and as loudly as he could, uninhibited by the thoughts and regrets he carried now.

"I'm trying to understand, Sesshoumaru, but I just can't. How can you let them go through that? How can you let her? She has no idea what they're walking back into. No idea what-"

"Do NOT speak as if the past affects only you, fox! I was there. It is **these** hands which bear the burden of that tragedy! I carry **far** more of the responsibility than you will ever understand so do not lecture This Sesshoumaru on the merits of changing their fate!"

Shippou scowled and quickly left the room, leaving Sesshoumaru to calm down and will himself to be free of this oppressive guilt. Shippou stopped halfway down the fire escape to think. How much longer was it now before shit hit the fan?

…

Back at the Higurashi shrine…

"Well, if the bastard has survived this long, I'm sure we won't find him if he doesn't want to be found. He might be an asshole but he's smart. Shit!"

Inuyasha suddenly took a defensive stance and gripped the pommel of Tessaiga.

"Indeed, little brother. Most astute observation." came a voice from the shrine yard.

Two heads snapped attention to the man standing in the yard at once, gaping like hooked fish. He might have smiled at their shock but reconsidered, knowing the reaction would be too out of character to them at the moment.

"Sesshoumaru? Is that you?" Kagome squinted and broke the silence first.

The man standing there was almost… normal-looking. He was tall and thin with black hair tied back in a braid that hung behind him. His eyes were severe but dark brown, and his fair complexion lacked any of the racial markings of his demon heritage, but only one youkai in her memory could stand there **like that** in an indigo button-down and khakis, and look **that** in command of the entire world. Five hundred years into the future and he had still managed to be annoyingly perfect.

"Oh, it's him, Kagome. Don't let your guard down." Inuyasha's eyes were boring holes into the stranger and his stance hadn't relaxed an inch.

"It is, Kagome." He nodded, ignoring Inuyasha's attempt to elevate the situation.

Sesshoumaru's use of her actual name was a small shock but he continued immediately with another.

"Shall we go inside and continue the conversation? I am sure your mother would be most happy to hear of your return, however brief." He swept an arm toward the house and began to casually walk toward the Higurashi residence.

"My mother? Brief? Oh right… Wait, what is **happening** right now?" she said more to herself than anyone else.

Inuyasha released Tessaiga's pommel and stood straight again. "No bullshit, Sesshoumaru? This is Kagome's family. You won't hurt them?"

"Why would I hurt the family whose shrine I have patronized for over four hundred and fifty years?" His eyes narrowed, trying to convey the seriousness of the statement and end this annoying conversation.

"But why-" Kagome started but Sesshoumaru held up a hand for silence.

"Inside, please. Your mother has been most worried about you."

"The bastard says 'please.' Now I **know** it ain't him." Inuyasha turned and lifted his palm to ask for Kagome's hand. Stairs in sandals were not his wife's friend but her bewildered look at his half-brother had kept her from noticing. He cleared his throat to break her focus.

"Oh yeah, thanks…"

The couple followed Sesshoumaru to the door but he paused before knocking.

"Mariko Higurashi believes that I am a descendant of the original patron. I ask that you don't reveal who I am at this time for her safety as much as my anonymity." Sesshoumaru said flatly, offering no further explanation before knocking on the door and shifting behind the couple to appear a few minutes later and to avoid the excited screaming that inevitably came.

…

Kagome's mother had been sitting at the table, reading, with a hot cup of tea when the knock came at the door.

"Souta! Are you expecting friends over? Now who could that be…?" She padded to the door and slid it open. "**Kagome**! Oh! Oh my goodness, is that really you?! When did you get back?!" She pulled her daughter into a crushing hug and continued the barrage of questions.

Sometime and some tears later, they were all seated at the kitchen table. All five of them: Kagome's grandfather, Souta, Mariko, Kagome, and Inuyasha.

"Married?! Really? Oh Kagome, I'm so happy for you, darling! Aren't we happy for them, Dad?" Mariko reached out and grabbed Kagome's hand to squeeze it. "When did all this happen?"

"It was about four months ago now since Inuyasha proposed. I wish you could have been there, Mama. Inuyasha looked so nice at the wedding and all of our other friends were there. Shippou was a big help and we had a great time."

Inuyasha sat the end of the table looking embarrassed but proud. Mariko made her way around the table and hugged him unceremoniously as well. He didn't know how to handle his mother-in-law but he patted her arm from his seat at the table and tried to look happy about it.

"Well, of course we wish we could have been there too but I know it wouldn't work. I don't suppose you'd consider having a ceremony here now that you can come back?" Mariko asked hopefully.

"No, I don't think so. We won't know if we can actually travel back and forth yet. This may be a fluke but I had to try. I've missed you all so much!" She got up and ran around to hug her family. Souta shrugged it off, her grandfather sputtered a little, but Mariko smiled and laughed at her daughter's enthusiasm.

_'This family and their hugging…'_ Inuyasha thought.

There was a knock at the door again.

"My goodness, but we're busy tonight!" Kagome's mother gasped. "Wait, here and I'll be right back. Oh, Inuyasha, dear, you might want to change and put on your ball cap, just in case." Her eyes were apologetic but he nodded and dashed upstairs. Kagome mouthed 'Thanks' as he left the room.

Mrs. Higurashi opened the door and gave a happy exclamation as she led the new visitor inside.

"Welcome, Mikazuki-san! Please come on in. My daughter and her husband are visiting but you're welcome to join us for some tea."

"Thank you, Higurashi-san. I shall if you do not mind." Slipping out of his black leather shoes, he stepped slowly across the floor and found the family all together at the table.

_'A family…'_ he sadly thought. _'How often have I wished-'_

His thoughts were cut off as Inuyasha trampled heavily down the stairs in a red ball cap, white t-shirt and red sweatpants. Sesshoumaru found the sight of him here in the house to be refreshing. He seemed so at ease with them, so normal. During the hanyou's quest four years ago, he had never spoken to Sesshoumaru about- well, about anything really. Their relationship was nearly non-existent. But seeing him now, smelling of happiness and contentment among Kagome's family, twisted the regret in his heart more painfully.

He stood before the table and Mariko made the introductions. Afterward, he sat down and enjoyed the casual conversation about Kagome's wedding, their lives, and how long they might stay. It was pleasant to just exist in this close-knit little world for a while. The rest of his life felt sterile and lonely in comparison.

"More tea, Mikazuki-san?" she gestured to Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha's eyebrow raised in question at Sesshoumaru, still wondering at the strange name.

"No, thank you, Higurashi-san. In fact, I should be going. Congratulations on your daughter's marriage and much happiness to the couple in the future." Bowing his head slightly, he rose gracefully from the table. Mariko followed him.

"I am sorry about all of the family conversation. Did your visit this evening have a purpose?"

"Not an immediate one. I can see you have much to catch up on. I shall call again another time." he answered, slipping on his shoes.

"Thank you so much, Mikazuki-san. I'll walk you out."

"Actually, would you mind if I speak to… apologies, I did not hear your daughter's married name?" he asked with a glint of mirth in his eyes.

Inuyasha glowered over at Sesshoumaru both for trying to speak to Kagome alone and for the obvious tease. Wait, tease?

_'Since when does the prick tease?'_

"Kagome?" Mariko deflected casually. "No, I suppose that's fine. You should get to know one another, after all, if she'll be visiting more often."

Mariko was decidedly confused at his need to speak with a woman he'd never met before but it was a polite request and Kagome was an adult.

"I'll come with you, Kagome." Inuyasha left no room for an argument and Sesshoumaru inclined his head slightly in acceptance.

The three left the house and stood in the chilling night air of early autumn several feet from the house. Kagome broke the silence first.

"Why have I never seen you here before, Sesshoumaru? My mother seems to know you pretty well but she's never mentioned you or your 'family' before."

"I made it a point to avoid the shrine when you or Inuyasha were here. It would be confusing to speak as I am now, knowing you would return to a very different version of myself. Forgive me the deception, but it was not meant to offend."

"And my family?"

"I gave your mother no reason to involve you. Financial matters are often uncomfortable to relay to children and the shrine was not prosperous in your lifetime. We are not close friends but business acquaintances. That, coupled with your frequent absence, made sure we never met."

"I guess that makes sense…" she accepted.

Inuyasha was still suspicious, however.

"So, what was so important you needed to talk to Kagome about?" Inuyasha crossed his arms and stared suspiciously at Sesshoumaru.

He ignored Inuyasha and turned to speak to Kagome. "The monk that traveled with you still lives in your village, is that correct?"

"Yes, but what does Miroku have to do with anything? He's not still alive, too, is he?!" Kagome asked hopefully.

"No, he is not. However, when you return it would be wise to seek his aid in honing your skills. I understand he has other responsibilities, and I cannot say more at this time, but there is conflict on the horizon in the Feudal Era and you must be prepared."

"What the hell, Sesshoumaru? Why would Kagome need training? She's great with a bow already and there's nothing happenin' back there. Gotten too old to remember right, bastard?"

Suddenly the air was thick with youki and it was pressing on all of Kagome's senses. She visibly flinched. Inuyasha growled. Sesshoumaru hadn't moved a muscle but his eyes narrowed at his half-brother. He let the human glamour slip as his youki thickened the air. Shorter, silver, plaited hair lifted behind him like a whip caught in the maelstrom of deadly energy. His bangs fluttered and the dark crescent moon signaling his heritage darkened on his brow. Citrine eyes flashed and magenta stripes flared to life on his pale, high cheeks, angled upward to his now pointed ears. Sesshoumaru hadn't moved an inch but his physical presence was indelibly altered.

Inside the house, Kagome's grandfather shivered and dropped his tea.

"You ok, gramps?" Souta asked.

"Yes, just got really prickly all of a sudden…" he stared bewildered at Souta.

Outside, the conversation turned serious.

"I can assure you This Sesshoumaru's potency has not lessened with age, hanyou."

Kagome laid a delicate hand on her husband's arm. "Inuyasha! I think he's trying to help… without interfering too much or something, right?" She coughed at the foreign energy filling her lungs and the spasm drew the eldest brother's attention.

"Hn." Sesshoumaru reined his youki in and continued, point proven. The glamour shivered back into place. "The monk was trained in a military style to use his holy powers and his body in conjunction. It would be wise to seek his aid. My brother could benefit from his tutelage, as well, though he will not take the time to master himself."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!" Inuyasha cut in.

"It **means** that your wild upbringing has done nothing to discipline your swordsmanship, Inuyasha. I attempted on many occasions to make you **aware** of that fact but it seems I was too subtle."

Inuyasha sputtered something including the word "fucker" next to her. Kagome looked up at the stars in thought.

"I've never thought to ask Miroku before but he always **was** good in a fight. And Kaede is getting too old to teach much of anything. Simple barriers put her out of commission for an entire day now."

The total exposure of her throat so openly and freely caused Sesshoumaru to clench his jaw.

_'Kagome, you are too free with your invitations…'_

The time had long passed since such displays meant anything to anyone, but they still did to a remaining few. Kagome was a herald of the past, however, and though she didn't know yet the effect her life would have on him, he could remember the sight and feel and temptation of her. Such thoughts were vulgar to him at the remembrance of what was to come. She mirrored his train of thought too well, however, as the next question came.

She tilted her head back down to ask genuinely "Is it really going to be that bad, Sesshoumaru? Can't you tell us anything else?"

"Hn. I cannot." He swallowed thickly, forcing the feelings she had stirred in him back down.

"When you do decide to return, seek him out and begin immediately. I will bid you good night now. Perhaps we will meet again, Kagome."

"Mmhm. It's nice to know you're here, Sesshoumaru. I won't lie. I won't ask any more of you for now but I hope you're not alone here. Good night, _Onii-san_." She winked at him headed back toward the house.

"Oi, Kagome, wait for me!" Inuyasha took another look at his half-brother then and almost fell down. Sesshoumaru was looking at him with sadness in his eyes, almost longing. It was only for a second but even his hanyou eyes had seen it.

"Inuyasha, wait one moment. When you return, seek me out in your time. I am aware that our relationship is not one of brotherly affection-"

"Yeah, no shit. And whose fault is that?"

"There is much to make recompense for in our shared history, but that is not what I wanted to speak with you about. Seek me out in the past to discuss your recent loss of control." He held up a hand to silence the sputtering tirade of denial he could feel building from Inuyasha. "Do not insult us both by attempting to deny it. I am aware that the episodes started only recently but I may be able to help. Ask for my help in your time. Make an appeal to my pride and I am hopeful I will make an attempt to teach you to control your youki, however violent it might be."

"You **want** me to go back in time to guilt you into helping me? Now I know you're an imposter."

"Decide for yourself. I have given you only a choice. The rest is up to you. Safe travels, little brother."

_'In this life and the next. And good bye.'_ Sesshoumaru turned on his heel and launched himself into the sky. He condensed his youki into a billowing cloud at his feet above the skyline and sped away before the blood dripping from his clenched fists dropped to the pavement below.

Back on the ground, Inuyasha was confused. Twice in the same evening, Sesshoumaru had called him "little brother." He had never used those words before. What had happened in his future to cause this change of heart? His brother, half-brother he reminded himself, seemed genuinely concerned about Kagome's well-being and his own.

_'Guess we'll find out soon either way if the bastard's right.'_ And he turned to follow Kagome back into the house.

They stayed for another day at the Higurashi house, exchanging stories and taking pictures, and then left to go back to the village through the well the following evening. Inuyasha was ready to get back, to prove to himself they could, and Kagome was hoping this wasn't the last time they would all be together like this.

...


	5. Chapter 5 - Voodoo Woman

**Author's Note**: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled **MA** per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

2020/02/11 - Updated a few errors and added some extras. Sorry. No major changes.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 5 - Voodoo Woman**

A few weeks later…

"Faster, Kagome-sama! Pivot **and** strike!" Miroku yelled.

"Right!" Kagome gasped as she finished the move set.

She jogged back over to the edge of the training field and readied her wooden training staff. Deep breath. Knees bent. Open stance. Staff resting lightly on her back in one hand for quick strikes.

"Again!" Miroku's voice boomed in her ears.

She lunged forward, legs pumping hard toward her target. Closing the 30-foot distance quickly, she shifted one leg underneath her and slid under the training dummy's outstretched arm. Then she planted a foot and stood up, striking the head of the first dummy with a back kick before whirling around to the second. Ducking under its arm and giving a resounding 'Thwack!' with her staff. Dust and straw shook loose from the dummies and fluttered to the ground as the priestess remained still, catching her breath and waiting for her teacher's appraisal.

"Better." Miroku conceded, one hand on his shakujou. "But you're still wasting energy when you rise and we have not tapped into reiki strikes yet. You **have** to find a way to expend less energy to attack with your staff but that will come with time, I suppose. I think we should add another dummy to the fight now."

"Who knew we had such an expert right here in the village?" Kagome was still catching her breath but happy with her progress today.

"Hey!" Sango called out from across the yard, making her way over the pair. "Experts abound in our little village but I know Kagome needs **your** help right now so I won't be offended." She threw up both hands to emphasize as she came to a stop in front of them.

"Wait until I'm a little better before you jump in, too, Sango-chan. I remember how you fight and I am **not** ready." Kagome was smiling but the admission was honest.

Sango was coming to collect Miroku for dinner again. Kagome felt badly for dragging him away from his family for even a few hours but this training was necessary.

"My wife is indeed quite an expert warrior. I am continuously impressed with your work with the children, my love."

"The kids?" Kagome stood perplexed. "What about the kids?"

"They're being training by my darling wife in the same skills. Did she not tell you?"

"Gah! Isn't this a little rough for children to be learning? They're still so little." Kagome was surprised her loving friend could be tough with her small children.

"Kagome-chan, I was the same age or younger when I started training as they are with play swords. Soon we'll move on to hand-to-hand strikes when I'm sure Komori is big enough to run away. He's faster and less fearful than they are even now and he'll learn even faster with Satori and Shizuka chasing him constantly."

"Yes, and my son will benefit from the exercise immensely at such a young age. His stamina will no doubt exceed his sisters' by the time he's their age."

"Are you two raising warriors or children? Geez."

They didn't miss a beat. "Both." they answered together and then smiled at each other.

"But," Miroku added, "we have no way of knowing if any of the children will develop spiritual power so that will change their training outlook immensely if it happens."

"Well, gods help anyone fool enough to mess with your house." Kagome giggled. "One more round, Miroku? Then we can call it a day?"

"I underestimated your zeal for physical punishment, Kagome. Now I understand why Inuyasha is so contented all the time…" he smirked knowingly at her.

Kagome sputtered. "No! That's not the only reason!" But realizing she as much as admitted their intimacy again, she clamped her hands over her mouth. Miroku let out a hearty laugh at her flustered admission.

"Miroku…" Sango warned and slapped him on the back. "Let's leave **that** alone for the day, shall we?"

"Ah hah, yes, dear. All right, Kagome-sama, once more. This time, shift your dominant foot to the rear and repeat the sequence. Then five laps around the shrine grounds and you may go home for the day."

"Gotcha… cardio. Ugh…" She rolled her eyes but knew it was important. She was already fantasizing about the cool river and a bath.

After Kagome repeated the exercise and began to run, Sango turned to Miroku.

"So how is she faring with the training? She looks like she's doing well to me."

"Hmm, she is. I am pleasantly surprised. I am also mad at myself for not having taught her sooner. We did not have much time during the hunt for Naraku but any training would have been helpful. I am glad to be able to help her now." He sighed sadly but recovered. "Honestly, I have never taught a pupil more apt to smile the harder she works. She is a wonder. I am more eager to get to our spiritual training but her body must be strengthened first. I have never encountered reiki like hers. It has grown even more formidable in the years she was gone. I am tempted to send Shippou away when we start for his own safety."

"I know, and she is truly enjoying it. I wonder what has her so motivated. Have you asked her?"

"I have and she will not reveal her true motivation but tells me simply that she is overdue for training to survive here."

"There! Five laps!" Kagome stopped in front of them and held her arms over her head to take deeper breaths. "Thanks again for the combat outfit, Sango. It's been a lifesaver. So much easier to move in. I can see why you favored this over traditional clothing."

The young priestess absently pulled some straw out from between the shin and ankle guards. The armored plates that covered her weak spots were a deep violet color. They were made of a reinforced amalgamation of demon bone, not unlike the weapons used by the taijiya clans, covered in demon leather that had been skillfully stained to match Kagome's coloring, and laid flush to her black body suit.

The suit also housed a few of the trade specialties of the taijiya including a mask that protected human lungs from inhalants, the poison salve used to coat blades, a coil of thin grappling wire, and a few of the bombs Sango had occasionally used for distraction. It had been her best friend's wedding gift and she was thrilled to be able to put it to good use.

Kagome's hair was tied up into a ponytail with a golden yellow ribbon Inuyasha had found in a merchant's wagon at the start of autumn. She looked fierce standing there rolling her now well-toned shoulders and arms, hair tied up, quarterstaff locked into the dirt with the other hand, flushed with effort and grimacing at the soreness developing… well, everywhere. Then she spoke.

"Whew! All right now it's bath time! I'm going to home to start dinner and grab Shippou to join me. That kit is always dirty."

"Very well, Kagome-sama. We will continue in a few days' time. Good evening!"

"Good-bye, you two! Thanks again!"

The priestess was happy at the burn of her muscles at the end of the day. She was making progress and she was going to be useful, strong, and more prepared for whatever it was Sesshoumaru had been so worried about. If the daiyoukai was worried enough to warn them about it, it must be serious.

Time seemed to have changed him for the better, she thought. He had spoken rather nicely to Inuyasha, all things considered. He had joined four humans for tea inside their own house without making a superior remark about anything. He had become the patron of their shrine in the past, making him solely responsible for its existence, and by extension, her ability to join the adventure in the past. Apparently, she had much to thank him for in the future. So if he was concerned for their safety and requested she train herself to be useful, she would.

…

The next week, after recovering from a soreness she was sure would never fade, Miroku called Kagome to the shrine to begin the practicing the basics with her reiki. She had launched herself into the discussion with gusto. Miroku was less intimidating than Kaede, due to their closeness, and he talked to young woman as an equal and not as a child, as the elder priestess was wont to do.

Inuyasha was busy with more jobs around the village and had left to hunt for the rest of the day so this was a welcome distraction.

Shippou had returned home from kitsune school for a week and they had been catching up and playing together as she worked around the shrine and the village. He had left a little while ago to play with Rin though what they did was talk more often than not.

Since Rin had grown so much taller and was maturing now much more rapidly than Shippou would, Kagome hoped they would remain close friends as long as Rin was here. The younger woman had told Kagome that Sesshoumaru had spoken to her of a plan to take her to the Western palace once she was an adult by human standards, and then her education would continue there. Kagome was shocked to hear that Rin was to be educated. It was easy to forget that education was not a standard of living here for anyone truly but for an orphaned young woman, it seemed highly unlikely. She was glad to hear that Rin was so well looked after and was pleasantly surprised at the continued attention from her stoic half-brother-in-law.

Most importantly, Kagome felt that these friendships between demons and humans should be cherished if both species were to coexist in the future. Not a day went by that Kagome didn't wonder where Shippou was in the modern era and why she hadn't seen him. Maybe if she could continue to foster understanding between the younger generations, like with Rin and Shippou, she would return one day to find a different version of her first home. One where Inuyasha would be more accepted, and any children they would have wouldn't be seen as taboo. Who knew how long he and their children would live? But first things first.

"So why is youki so different than our reiki? It's energy that's native to us both but why are they so different?"

"Reiki is not like youki most specifically because it is intended to quell negative forces of nature where youki exists to amplify them. The priest or priestess is trained to heal, to help, and to defend utilizing both their energy and their body against those who would go against the laws of nature set forth by the kami. This is the most basic foundation for the function of our spiritual energy. Do you understand?"

Miroku sat in the center of the prayer room on the floor with legs crossed, Kagome mirroring him a few feet away. His hands were tucked in his dark sleeves but his eyes were serious and intent. Kagome was excited and her body hummed with anticipation at finally being able to master herself. Her body was strong and her heart was full and now it was time to corral her spiritual energy. She straightened her miko robes with chilly hands before settling them in her lap. Autumn was moving in and the air was colder now by the close of day.

"I think so. But when you say 'forces of nature' what exactly do you mean? It sounds like storms and earthquakes and lightning…" Kagome cocked her head to the side with curiosity.

"No, that is not what I mean but it is similar. Storms are the amplification of energy in the air, in a sense, so while I have never thought about the weather as a target for our training, if one **could** manipulate reiki in the heavens, it is reasonable to assume one could quell a storm, yes, by manipulating the energy to become counter to the destructive force of the storm."

"Wow."

"Indeed. That is, to assume that you perceive the storm is indeed destructive. Most storms bring necessary rain for crops and drinking water, and winds to drive ships at sea and mills to work. Be careful what you assume is negative. There are many viewpoints to consider. But to begin, you must be able to recognize the negative and positive forces around you in all their forms. Close your eyes. Good. Now find Shippou."

Cerulean eyes snapped open. "What?"

"Find Shippou. You know, little red fox kit, about this tall, green eyes, makes trouble?"

"Funny, Miroku, very funny. I don't want to play hide and seek. I want to master my reiki."

"Then finding him **using only your reiki** should be a perfect exercise. I promise he is somewhere nearby. Close your eyes." He tilted his chin up and challenged her.

Kagome wilted. She had tried this so many times. Her reiki, whatever was different about it, was temperamental. It wasn't that she hadn't tried on her own to work with her natural energies. The arrows she fired were charged with spiritual energy but that talent was borne out of desperation and fear most of the time, so they were charged to damage, to shock, to kill. She knew reiki was capable of so much more but Kagome couldn't seem to make it bend to her will when she wasn't fighting for her life or someone else's. But if Sesshoumaru had thought enough to warm them about danger in the near future, she was going to be better. She steeled her nerves and made the decision succeed today.

"Promise me that if I start to lose control, you'll protect Shippou, wherever he is?"

"You have my word, but you will be fine. Now, close your eyes. Good. Deep breaths.

First, open your ears to the sounds around you. Hear nothing else.

Quiet your thoughts.

Feel the gentle wind through the shrine.

Now imagine it as an energy, not simply as wind. Give it color in your mind's eye. Give all of the sounds color.

Now find those things that are not given color in your mind's eye and give them shape. Forcing shape upon that which you do not recognize will cause your energies to find and recognize them."

She nodded, eyes still closed.

Kagome felt the wind. Positive. Pale gold. Suddenly hundreds of ribbons of gold slithered through the open spaces in her mind's eye.

Kagome heard birds. Positive. Blue. And instantly the birds alit from the trees with blue auras, flitting through the air like icy fireflies.

She heard the trees and grasses rustling around them. Positive. Green. So much green. Verdant plains opened in front of her, towering over her, and blanketing the world outside.

People of the village down below. Positive. White. But not totally. Some were infused with other colors. Negative. Gray. Red. Black. Ghostly figures moved about down in the village. Some were working, some were sleeping, some were running fast.

But suddenly, something moved beneath her. Creeping slowly but purposefully. Positive. It didn't have a shape. She gave it one. Small and round at first. But then arms and legs appeared. It was blue, no green, sea green with flecks of gold. The emerald shadow was sneaking across the foundation of the shrine beneath them.

_'Gotcha!'_

Kagome jumped up and stomped hard on the floor four feet to her right. "Found you, kiddo!"

She heard a muffled 'Gah!' and then a bump which might have been his head. Miroku laughed out loud.

"Congratulations, Kagome-sama, you have found him." Miroku bowed his head and was smiling genuinely at her accomplishment.

"Yes!" She pumped a fist in the air and laughed herself. "Oh Miroku, thank you so much!" She threw her arms around his neck then. He patted her awkwardly but was immensely happy for her as well. She released him from the hug and he cleared his throat. Kagome let out a breath and refocused on Miroku's face. "Ok, what's next?"

She was instantly serious. The look of determination there was clear. Miroku wondered what it was that was driving his friend to work so hard but since she refused to tell him, he was left with the task of teaching her as much as possible from now on.

"Next," he smirked at her, "we combine what you've learned so far to test you. Change, and go get your staff."

"… I'm not gonna like this, am I?"

"Not in the least."

...

**Note**: The chapter titles don't really mean much except they were the songs I was listening to when I was writing but some of them are appropriate for the subject matter anyway. ;)


	6. Chapter 6 - The Gates of Hell

**Author's Note: **I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled **MA** per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 6 – Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell**

A month later…

This morning, like so many mornings, he had woken up earlier than his wife. Amber eyes opened to the sun's first rays and he shifted to turn over to his left side and watch her gentle breathing. The warm and demure arm slung over his ribs was comforting and familiar. He stroked the length of her forearm lovingly before gently moving it aside so she could remain asleep. He reached over and stroked her cheek lightly as a smirk turned up the corner of his mouth, sighing at himself for the sentimentality. He lowered his head to her neck and inhaled, taking in her sweet and natural scent. Camelias and fresh rain. It was always strongest in the morning when she had been asleep and before washing. Her scent was mixed with his in their bedding and he enjoyed the remnant scent of their amorous activities the night before.

Gently rolling and lifting himself out of bed, he moved to the central room and started the fire so she would wake up warm and knowing he was nearby. Autumn was nearly here. The leaves were just turning colors and the winds had been buffeting the valley for a few weeks now. Summer crops were being harvested and turned out before the first autumn crops would be planted in a few weeks. Kagome had been so busy gathering herbs and patching up hasty farmers that they hadn't seen much of each other during the day but met up at night to have dinner and catch up.

Shedding his sleeping yukata, Inuyasha armored himself with the red Robe of Fire Rat. It was hardly necessary now for protection but their experiments with regular clothing had ended badly… for the clothes. After several tries, they gave up and determined he was incapable of being careful enough to wear regular yukata, kimono, or hakama without tearing them to shreds or offending the inexperienced and shy eyes of the local young women. He heard Kagome sigh and peeked back into their room to make sure she was still asleep.

Tessaiga wasn't really needed now that most youkai had retreated to the deep forests and high mountains in the absence of any lure toward civilization. The Shikon no Tama shards had drawn youkai to many towns and developing villages like moths to a flame but since it's disappearance, the majority of wild youkai attacks on human settlements had ceased. Very few encounters necessitated the use of Tessaiga and even then, a few deft swings solved the problem. Most power-hungry lords had no interest in a village with no major natural resources, a whispered legend of a cursed jewel, and a resident half-demon guardian. But he dared not leave without Tessaiga. Tucking the sword gingerly and securely in his belt, Inuyasha felt the reassuring presence of the sword surround him before readying to leave.

Clawed hands reached up and combed back through waist-length silver hair to rid it of the worst tangles from sleep. A quick shake from side to side to straighten and he was out the door and halfway across the field, headed for the woods.

She was awake of course, stealing glances as he changed and readied their small house for the day. She kept her awareness to herself. As he shed his sleeping yukata, she awoke and focused her eyes with a few drowsy blinks. He was just wrenching toned shoulders together to remove his arms from the sleeves when she caught sight of him. He was still so boyishly handsome; all high cheekbones, straight nose and impish, fanged grin; but his shoulders were broad and his arms and legs had thickened as he had grown another half a foot at least through the summer. She lustily appreciated his maturing form but if he caught her, he'd fumble through excuses and dismissals until she had lost interest and become frustrated with him. That or he'd stalk back over and make them both late starting their day. The idea was a tempting one…

Since being freed from the sacred tree 5 years ago, his body and demonic youki had developed rapidly. They had discussed at length why it was he seemed to grow so quickly since he was released but neither really knew. He had most definitely been released as a juvenile, appearing around the same age as Kagome, but in the years since, his growth had accelerated and he now appeared more as a man in his mid-20's. Of course, this would have been expected of a human male but for some reason, she had expected to mature much faster than he. It worried her that some other force was at work but they theorized that his youki had grown exponentially as well so maybe his body was catching up after being sealed for so long. Even in the months since they'd been reunited, he had continued to grow almost as if forced.

Kagome rose herself after he had left and started the day. He'd want rice and pickled radish when he returned to go with whatever he'd found first for breakfast that day. She didn't bother to change out of the sleeping yukata she wore and the light blue garment was comfortable and warm enough for the early autumn morning.

She started boiling the water they'd fetched last night for tea and thought about the tasks for the day. Visit Sango and Miroku after breakfast for fun, head to the shrine and train briefly with Kaede, complete any tasks she had for the young pseudo-priestess, then check in with Inuyasha for lunch. From then it was training with Miroku, cleaning around the shrine, home visits to the sick and needy on the way home, and then dinner and bed.

There was a comfortable and easy rhythm to life; and it was a welcome change after so many days and months expecting hard camping, life-threatening battles, emotional turmoil, and personal injury from the Feudal Era. Kagome was happy they'd found a good rhythm together. The past six months following their traditional marriage had been happy ones, she reflected, with very little trouble.

Turning her attention back to breakfast, she smiled contentedly as she poured tea and gathered their dishes to get ready for whenever Inuyasha would arrive back at home.

…

Inuyasha was running through the forest towards the river and away from the village. He could feel the painful swell of youki building in his chest and was pushing his legs to go faster before it was too late.

"Damn it! Not yet!"

He cursed as Tessaiga pulsed, agitated, at his hip and one final leap clear of the tree line brought him to the river's edge where he skidded to a stop. He took a deep breath. It smelled so much like her here at the water's edge that it gave him comfort even knowing what was about to happen. He stepped into the water slowly, feeling the youki within him clawing to get out. He moved slowly between a few large cracked and splintered boulders, claws twitching and sweat already building on his forehead. These large river rocks had already seen some damage. Large chunks of rock lay fractured in the river bed already and what was left of the three huge boulders was doomed in the next few minutes. When he had waded out waist-deep, he looked up at the sky with saddened eyes and whined as the first shudders of the change overtook him.

"Fuck, not again… Gods, not again…" he panted once more before clenching his teeth together, bracing for what was coming.

An ethereal breeze lifted his hair and buffeted his clothes as the river water began to boil at his feet. The growl started low in his chest and quickly rose as a snarl, ripping out from between lengthening fangs before he could stop it. His head snapped down to his chest as one clawed hand gripped his haori over his heart, his last futile effort to stop the change from taking him again.

The youki suddenly exploded from within him, sending a shockwave through the immediate forest. It quickly rose to surround him and became a tornado of crackling, red youki and misted river water all around his hunched, snarling form. Tessaiga pulsed rapidly, trying to dampen the violent, raw energy around him and drive it back to its owner. He dug his feet into the river bed to stop himself from moving from his river sanctuary. His instincts were screaming at him to leave and find a worthy kill to prove his strength.

"NO! I **won't** do it!" he yelled at no one.

Inuyasha flexed his lengthened claws and began to cleave the rocks around him in an effort to satisfy the instinctual urge to maim something. As one of the boulders nearby was torn apart, he threw his head back and yelled his frustration at the beautiful morning through the thick mist and raging youki.

Sweat poured from his face and chest with the effort to remain rooted in the river. Straining muscles tensed, swelled painfully, and relaxed over and over. His heart felt as if it was torn in two. Searing, unyielding pressure in his chest continued to build until he vomited bile and the blood he'd swallowed from his raw and ragged throat. His back arched and popped with sickening grating sounds as muscles flexed along his spine and he contorted to try to stave off the pain of the transformation.

Between the spasms of unnatural growth, he continued to tear into the boulders to release some of the immense energy he housed but it was never enough. Once the rocks were crumbled and lay scattered in jagged spikes beneath the river, he tore into the exposed bedrock beneath him, creating a trench of steaming river water and glowing embers from the force of his claws on the stubborn earth. This alternation of violence and spasms continued until the energy was siphoned off by his efforts and bit by bit, the spasms became less violent and he could start to recognize the world around him outside of the sphere of youki.

Finally, one last pained growl escaped him before he closed crimson eyes and the jagged violet facial markings began to shrink back under his skin. Energy still surged weakly through his body, crackling here and there across his skin as it was forced into submission by Tessaiga's efforts. His body finally shifted and settled back to its normal shape.

Inuyasha didn't know how long this one had lasted but when he finally came back to himself, the sun was higher in the sky and the forest was no longer visible through the mist-covered river. Steam rose from his shoulders and the river water rushed back in around his feet as the youki dissipated and what little remained slithered back into his body.

Inuyasha stood there shaking and panting as he waited for the sensation to pass and his natural strength to return. He rolled his shoulders back and looked down as he flexed both still-shaking hands, testing their strength.

_'What the hell is happening to me?'_

He crouched in the river to cool his scorching skin and splashed some water on his face before trudging back to the river bank. As he laid down heavily on the grass nearby, his breath slowed and came back to normal. Tessaiga ceased thrumming at his side and the world went back to the way it was, uncaring about his agony and the magnitude of what had just happened.

At least twice a month since Kagome had returned, he was forced to escape the village and hide away as his youki ran wild and overtook him. This was the fifth time this month. And it was getting worse. Something was wrong. But who could he ask for help? Kagome's knowledge of youkai was extensive now with Sango and Miroku's tutelage but no one knew much about hanyou. And hanyou that had made it to his age were even more rare making any attempt to gather information nearly useless. There was the old idea of asking Sesshoumaru but he was reluctant to talk to his half-brother about anything, never mind detailed personal information and a lengthy discussion about his parentage. That was sure to end in blood and cleaved earth. The future Sesshoumaru had offered but was Inuyasha ready for whatever solution present-day Sesshoumaru might provide?

_'Bastard will just kill me and be done with it. Never mind what future Sesshoumaru thinks… Gah, this is confusing.'_

He shook himself dry at the river's edge and checked Tessaiga again. The sword felt lighter now than it had a few years ago but it was pulsing at his side more and more every day. He guessed it was working harder to maintain the barrier on his youki but how long would the energy hold out? Questions for another day. Right now, he had a wife expecting him home with breakfast and that made him smile. At least for today, he would go back and be a dutiful husband. Now what unfortunate animal would be breakfast and lunch today?

…

Next week and two more youki episodes later, Inuyasha felt his hand was forced.

"I have to go, Kagome. I don't want to either but I've got to talk to the bastard about something." Inuyasha nearly pleaded with her.

"But about what? Are you ok? Please tell me what's going on. You've been coming home with cuts and bruises and you're exhausted all the time. I **want** to help but you won't help me help you!" She was bustling around the house getting dinner ready and he was following after her, hands out, trying to talk her down.

"I don't wanna worry you yet. Not until I know what it means. I'm fine though, really. It's just a… demon thing. And Sesshoumaru is a bastard in this time but he's the only inuyoukai I know so maybe he can help." Inuyasha laid one head on the back of his head and tried to look sorry about needing to leave her alone.

She stopped her fussing then and stood to face him. Kagome brushed her hands off on her apron and took both of his hands in her own as she turned glittering sapphire eyes up to beg him. Her worry was visible there. Her fear. Her love.

"I'm already worried, you idiot! So just tell me. Please?" Ocean eyes pleaded up at him. Her defiance was there, too. White hot and ready to keep pushing until she got what she wanted. "I love you and I want to help."

There it was.

He sat down and pulled her down with him. They ate while he confessed. It took the better half of the evening for him to explain what had been happening. He relayed that it had begun after she returned and he had never experienced youki to that magnitude before. He was convinced that the sudden swell in his demonic energy had caused his growth to accelerate and his strength to increase. He paced as he talked and his ears flattened over and over in shame for keeping this from his wife. Inuyasha laid the history of his affliction out for her and when he was done, he was scared. Scared she'd tell him off. Scared she'd reject what he was becoming. Scared she would fear him. He set down their dishes next to the fire.

"So… what do you think? Sesshoumaru cornered me when we went to visit your family and told me to find him and guilt him into helping me. Or his past self, I guess. So that's what I gotta do. I can't keep hiding from this anymore. It's getting worse. I'm **going** to lose control and hurt something or someone." He took her hands again. "And if that someone was you… again, I'd never forgive myself."

"Can't I go with you? Sesshoumaru in this time won't help you, he's just as likely to attack you again. If I'm there with you, maybe he won't-"

"No."

"But Inuyasha, I'm your wife-"

"No!"

"Damn it! You need me, you stubborn ass! Why do you have to do this alone?"

"What do you think will happen if we're alone in the woods and my youki goes nuts again?! Or worse, we **find** the ice prick and then he decides to kill us both?! You're safer here, woman! Can't you see that?"

"I'll be fine, Inuyasha. I can't let you do this alone. I love you. I **can't** let you go alone." Her eyes were shining now, full of tears for the choice he wouldn't let her make.

She was pleading again. He was cracking. Inuyasha hated himself for hurting her this way but- He hardened his face and crossed the room to be away from her.

"And what happens to Shippou if you're wrong?"

His eyes were cut into narrowed, gold blades as he figuratively threw her adopted son like a sacrifice at her feet. He stared over his left shoulder at her with his mouth set firmly, fists at his sides, glaring at her for all the world.

"What happens to the runt if I go nuts and you're there and can't stop me? Or worse, you're there and **Sesshoumaru** murders us both anyway? You wanna leave the kid alone again?"

"Don't you **dare** use him against me, Inuyasha. You don't **get** to do that to me. You care about him just as much as I do. He won't **be** alone because we'll fix this together and come back."

Inuyasha lost his ire at her open and honest belief they could do this together. He wanted so badly to believe she was right. He sighed and slumped, suddenly exhausted from the months of worry and fear of bearing his affliction alone.

"This isn't an enemy, Kagome. We aren't running off to defeat some rogue youkai. This is me… and I have no idea what will happen." His voice actually broke then. His shoulders shook in defeat and he went silent.

Kagome ran across the room, rage forgotten, and held him close. She reached up and cupped the back of his head and wound the other arm around his back. She talked to him about their life after this was over. Her shoulder grew damp as his head stayed buried in her neck. Clawed hands held her close and his arms became a cage she couldn't escape. His wife talked to him about spring and Shippou and journeys back to see her family. About watching Sango and Miroku's children grow up. About taking a trip somewhere alone together. And she told him she loved him. Over and over. He held on to her and let her try to talk this away.

Inuyasha was holding her later in their bed, too. Their bodies warm and slick together. Breathless cries and panting moans echoed off the walls in the home they built together. Reassurance and love and tangled limbs all wound together in the late night and into the early morning. She was wound around him in love and acceptance. He was saying goodbye.

At the sound of her deep and even breathing, he opened amber eyes in the darkness and unwound his limbs from his wife. He had made sure to expend as much of her energy as he could as they made love. If he was honest, their love making was mostly for him. A memory to take with him. Fear gripped him again as he turned his back to her and he glanced back over his shoulder the raven-haired beauty he was leaving. If he just stayed, maybe-

_'No. I have to figure out what the hell is happening.'_ He looked down at deadly claws and clenched his fists. _'I could kill everyone that means anything to me here.'_

He packed a few days' worth of food, armored himself, grabbed Tessaiga, and stole away in the early morning, headed West.

...


	7. Chapter 7 - Some Might Say

**Author's Note: **I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 7 - Some Might Say**

The journey West had been an easy one, for the most part. Using the mountains and deep forests to avoid civilization made sure he wasn't causing trouble or inviting it. He was actually enjoying the trip through the wilderness. It had been a while since he and Kagome had traveled anywhere like this. Maybe they would take a trip when he got back… Sadness crossed his face then. **If** he went back, he thought regretfully.

If Sesshoumaru couldn't or wouldn't help him tame this youki, he wasn't sure what else to do. The inudaiyoukai was notoriously prideful and superior. Sesshoumaru had made it painfully obvious how he felt about his half-brother.

If Inuyasha was honest with himself, he wished now it had been different. Not just because he was in need of Sesshoumaru's help now but because it would be nice to be part of a proper pack. The brothers were all there was left of his father's line until Sesshoumaru took a wife and settled down, which seemed highly unlikely to ever happen as far as Inuyasha knew. His own children might add to the pack one day but Sesshoumaru would never acknowledge them so that was a moot point.

He would have liked to have known something concrete about his own parents, or at least his father. His mother he could remember well enough but not much about who she actually was. He remembered the wistful, often sad, but kind woman who had been with him as long as she could, but that wasn't **who** she was. It had been what she was. Surely there had been more to tempt a daiyoukai to marry a human princess. So many unknowns in his past and now his future was in question, too. He shook himself out his melancholy for the moment. It was a pursuit for another time. For now, it was time to pack up again and keep moving.

…

A week or so later, Inuyasha finally caught up with Sesshoumaru along the coast at Niigata as he patrolled the Northern borders of the West. He had caught the scent of the daiyoukai some days ago, and assumed his half-brother had scented him too by now. Sesshoumaru seemed not to care and continued, leading him farther and farther North for days before finally stopping in a forest of willows near the river long enough for Inuyasha to approach him.

Sesshoumaru was in the middle of a small clearing with his retainer, Jaken, and the two-headed dragon he had frequently seen with the daiyoukai's party. Sesshoumaru was wearing the red honeycomb traveling haori he usually wore, his armor, and was carrying both Tenseiga and Bakusaiga. Since his half-brother was probably on patrol this far North, it wasn't that surprising he was armed to the teeth. Inuyasha would have to make sure this went well or he might not live to return to the village, no matter his youki problems.

Inuyasha made sure he approached from an open vantage point, so as to appear non-threatening in every way. His sword was sheathed and he tried to assume a relaxed posture as he approached Sesshoumaru's camp. The daiyoukai stood next to Ah-Un reading missives from the dragon's saddlebag. Jaken was squawking about 'needing to return as soon as possible' and Sesshoumaru was ignoring the kappa completely as he read his letters.

"But my Lord, you **must** return or else the torayoukai will continue to press their advantage! The council is meeting in three days' time and they have deman- _urk_, urgently requested your presence, my Lord Sesshoumaru!"

"I care not for the squabbling politicians lazing about the palace. The torayoukai are slinking no further into the West than is acceptable. The cats wander in and out of all of the neighboring lands. It is of no concern. We will not risk war at the fear-mongering of my ignorant council."

"But my Lord, won't you at least come back and tell them yourself? If they heard your most reasonable and commanding explanation, perhaps they would stop bothering my Lord as he travels?"

Sesshoumaru was silent for a moment, testing the air.

_'What is the half-breed still doing here?'_ He scowled at the thought of enduring a meeting with the hanyou, placating his council, and continuing his patrol before the day was out.

"It is not currently the council which bothers me." He sent a pointed glare at the imp. "Return to the Western palace at once and tell the council that I will return when my journey is complete and not before. And Jaken, do not seek me out again before I return."

Sesshoumaru's tone alerted the retainer that the conversation was now over unless he wished to invite physical violence. Jaken bowed lowly before climbing back onto the dragon and taking off towards the Western palace, leaving Sesshoumaru alone. Now that the council and the kappa were taken care of, he could turn his attention to his slowly approaching half-brother.

"Why do you seek me out, Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru turned to face his half-brother with guarded curiosity.

He was immediately interested to notice Inuyasha had grown taller in the short time since he'd last seen him. He was wearing his inherited Robe of the Fire Rat and carrying Tessaiga, both expected. He was thinner and his youki was… No, that couldn't be right. His unshielded youki was twice or three times what it was when they had defeated Naraku. The hanyou had never concealed his energy before, from lack of knowledge about such things Sesshoumaru assumed, so it was easy for the daiyoukai to detect the change.

_'Bastard wants to get right to the point… Fine.'_

"Sesshoumaru, I wanna talk. Just talk. I have a few questions, if you'll hear me out."

Inuyasha held his hands up in front of himself and continued to slowly walk forward. This had to work. He had to get Sesshoumaru to listen.

_'Curious.'_ the daiyoukai thought.

"Ask."

Sesshoumaru gave away nothing. He didn't move or blink as he waited for Inuyasha to approach and make his request. This was so out of character for the hanyou that Sesshoumaru didn't know what to make of the encounter. If it was a ploy to get within striking range, the hanyou was still outmatched in every way. There were no other beings of consequence nearby, he knew instinctively, so this was not an attempt at deception. If Inuyasha was truly in need of something, Sesshoumaru had no idea what it could be. Never in their history had Inuyasha approached him as anything but either an enemy or an ally out of need. Perhaps the latter was the case again, though no reports of true threats to the West had reached his ears.

"My youki is killing me, Sesshoumaru."

Of anything the whelp could have told him, this was the most unusual. Inuyoukai curiosity ran wild in his mind at that moment. He stopped the mental wheels turning and refocused, curious to know more. When he said nothing, Inuyasha continued.

"Or at least I think it is. It started after Kagome returned from… her home to live in the village."

The less he knew about all of that, the better.

"All of a sudden, I started growing and my youki started tearing me apart. It'll stay quiet for weeks, or used to, but then it takes over and there's nothing I can do. It's worse than the times you saw me lose control. Do you have any idea what's happening? Is this a thing that happens to demons? It's happening every few days now and it's getting worse. I need… your help."

Inuyasha looked truly contrite and exhausted. Sesshoumaru sensed no deception from him. He noted the faint dark circles at the half-breed's eyes and the sickly yellow of healing bruises along Inuyasha's collarbone and forearms. His shoulders were slumped and his eyes were pleading. Inuyasha's description of his affliction was vague but surely it was not a life or death matter. The pup could travel here to him unharmed and had no evidence of severe bodily injury.

"You are not a demon, Inuyasha. You are hanyou." He almost spat the last word. Citrine eyes met Inuyasha's in serious contemplation and thinly veiled annoyance.

"I know that, okay?!" He took a breath.

Failure here meant death. Let the bastard insult him if it made it easier.

"I know I'm a half-breed. But I'm also half inuyoukai and I need to know if any of this is normal. And if it isn't, I need to find a way to stop it before I do something terrible."

The situation was so strange, Sesshoumaru couldn't find the appropriate emotions to respond. Annoyance at the delay was first but negligible. Curiosity was almost overwhelming. Disgust at the potential of facing another embarrassment should the hanyou draw attention to himself with this affliction. The council of the West were less than pleased that Inuyasha had gained so much notoriety as he traveled, making allies as he went, and even more after the defeat of Naraku. A spotlight on the shame of the West was never welcome.

So few things happened now to distract the ageless daiyoukai from the march of time and posturing of politics. Naraku had been a welcome distraction but it would be selfish and futile to hope for something of that magnitude to occur again. It was so easy to fall prey to apathy as a means to detach himself from the problems of the shrinking world.

Perhaps if the hanyou were to die at the hands of his own youki, it would be better. The blight of his father's weakness would disappear and the council would relent the worries of succession they pressed on him every few years or so. As if he would ever be defeated anyway, leaving the hanyou to inherit the West.

No, then they would press the issue of his taking a mate and invite a never-ending procession of high-born demonesses to invade his palace until the matter was resolved. No, that was far more disgusting than attempting to help Inuyasha. Mind made up, Sesshoumaru continued the discussion.

"And how do you propose I could help you, Inuyasha?" He wasn't sure what answer he expected. Assuming anything in this bizarre situation would lead to more surprises, he was sure.

"I don't know. Didn't our father teach you to control it? Would you give me a basic lesson?" Inuyasha shook his head then. That would never happen. "Or point me to someone who could? Anything would help, Sesshoumaru. Please."

"Your youki cannot kill you. That you think it **can** shows your ignorance. A vessel cannot house that which is stronger than itself."

"Even if that vessel is hanyou?"

"Even so. Granted the knowledge of hanyou is limited."

Then Sesshoumaru had an idea. Putting an end to this annoyance, solving the problem, and granting Inuyasha the help his honor demanded. Then he could be done with the hanyou forever and continue the path he was on without having to address the needs of the West over his own.

"I will return to the capital of the West in three days' time. I employ an inuyoukai captain most experienced with delicate youki manipulation. I will send him here to meet with you."

This was the best Inuyasha could have hoped for. A conversation that didn't end in blood, and proffered help from Sesshoumaru. The hanyou visibly relaxed.

Inuyasha awkwardly bowed to the daiyoukai then. He didn't like the feel of it, and he would probably never do it again but it was deserved. Now he had hope, at least. "Thanks, Sesshoumaru."

"Hm." Surprised at the respect the whelp displayed, Sesshoumaru didn't want to linger in this strange meeting any longer. He was anxious to get back to patrolling the Northern borders, and then to get back and remind the council who the ruling party really was. Gathering his youki at his feet, he launched into the sky, trailing fallen leaves and willow branches up into the sky with him.

After Sesshoumaru was out of sight, Inuyasha collapsed to the forest floor using Tessaiga as a crutch to stay upright at all. Several days of hard travel, staying on high alert in case Sesshoumaru decided to confront him, and the exhaustion from yesterday's youki episode had finally caught up with him. This couldn't continue or he'd die from exhaustion anyway.

Regaining a small measure of energy after the relief of not being murdered where he stood, he settled under a large tree to wait. He realized now that he should have asked more about **who** he was waiting for but he hadn't wanted to risk angering an amenable Sesshoumaru. The best he could do now was to go hunt, rest, and keep a low profile.

Inuyasha took a moment to observe and was stilled by the beauty of this forest. There was a human settlement bustling with activity nearby but the forest here was undisturbed. It was peaceful. The river passing by just to the South was burbling in the background, adding an echo to the trees' gentle whispering as the wind lazily lifted willow branches here and there. The smell and the feel of the place reminded him of Kagome.

Kagome. He closed his eyes and pictured her smile and the feel of her in his arms. His heart ached to see her again and he could admit to himself that he was lonely now without her. She was surely angry at him for leaving like he did. It would be days of apologies and groveling when he got home. He felt empty and on edge here but even allowing her into his thoughts again was peaceful. He regretted not saying goodbye to the kit too but he was off at school again and Kagome would smooth it over.

_'__**If**__ I ever go home again…' _he thought sadly._ 'I can't go back until this I know what the hell is happening, no matter how long it takes. Sure hope this captain knows his shit.' _

Before long, the gentle lullaby of the trees, the relief at knowing he was moving forward, and the relaxation brought by thoughts of his wife brought sleep to the exhausted hanyou. His head fell back to rest on the tree trunk and his arms encircled and rested on Tessaiga as he drifted off.

…

Sesshoumaru pondered Inuyasha's words as he continued his patrol for the next few days.

_'My youki is killing me, Sesshoumaru.'_

What could have happened to the boy to make him believe that was the case? Inuyasha's own energies were at new levels, well above normal or what he remembered to be normal, but that should not have led him to believe that he was being overcome.

Sesshoumaru could not remember ever hearing a tale or reading of a case where youki, or any inherent energies, had killed their owner. It seemed highly unlikely. And yet, seeing the exhausted hanyou had given him pause. His half-brother had endured intense hardship at the hands of Naraku and yet, even after the final battle, had not appeared so entirely spent as he did now.

His mind drifted to the captain he would be sending to meet with the hanyou. Ren was an exemplary captain of the Western army. He and his twin brother Kenshin had been living at the Western fortress their entire lives and were very familiar with the story of the Inu no Taishou's human escapade. This would make the request that much easier to ask of him.

The news of the hanyou's request for help would shock the captain but he would most definitely go at Sesshoumaru's order. Sesshoumaru himself would request a full report of the captain's findings on his return.

Then his thoughts drifted to Rin. If Inuyasha was indeed losing control of himself, Rin would need to leave the village she had become accustomed to and come back to the Western palace until the nature of Inuyasha's affliction could be determined.

He also remembered Inuyasha mentioning that the miko had returned to the village. Visions of the warrior miko flashed through his mind in quick succession. Surely, they were mated by now but Sesshoumaru had scented no change on his half-brother. He dismissed the thought and planned when to go back and take Rin away as he continued his flight towards the Northern border.

The closer he came to the North, the more crisp and clean the air became. The drop in temperature was welcome after the long summer but the cooler, thinner air stirred the inudaiyoukai's desire to run free in the night air in his true form. Sesshoumaru wasn't willing to test the patience of the newly established toradaiyoukai house, however. The burst of youki caused by the transformation would set teeth on edge and raise hackles even at this distance. It was best for now to remain as he was, funneling a small amount of his energy into maintaining flight and creating a weak signature they would detect and recognize but not fear.

The dense forests of the Northern regions were now the home of the tiger youkai and their kin. Sesshoumaru made it a point to travel to the busiest regions of the each of the four cardinal youkai lords a few times each year. This trip was to check on the progress made to rebuild the North by the torayoukai following the obliteration of the panthers for the second, and hopefully final, time.

Cats easily forget the past in favor of the pleasures of the present so he didn't anticipate any bad blood between them over the panther's defeat but it was always best to show one's face and make sure bonds were intact. Information relayed secondhand wasn't always trustworthy and Sesshoumaru was interested in how the cats planned to handle the growing human population in the region. Plus, it gave him a reason to stay away from his mother and the council and their constant nagging for several more days.

The ancestral home of the panthers was a sprawling estate set on a steep hilltop at the base of a small chain of mountains in the central Northern region.* It was the perfect position, Sesshoumaru reflected, ever the strategist. There was no angle of approach hidden from the castle's central bailey, and cats were alert creatures even if they were a bit inconstant. They would never be taken by surprise.

Tiger, leopard, and their lesser kin would remain aloof and out of the way and in their own territory until something unusual caught their attention. The cats were instinctively prone to wander indiscriminately in and out of their neighbors' territories and it bothered him that he would have to remind his own palace lawmakers of that yet again. How much did they, as inu, rely on instinct even now? The moment youkai stopped combining centuries of hereditary instinct with rational thought, they were no better than the humans. Just as shallow and single-minded.

Keeping an eye on the growing human population was becoming a full-time job. Right under the noses of the most powerful beings on the islands, humans had stretched their populations to nearly cover the entire land mass. Cities were growing and drawing more and more attention. Palaces and temples were taking up more and more space. The threat was a real one and the council would meet regularly to discuss issues of interrupted trade or usurpation of more land.

Youkai were not being threatened physically but the once respected borders of youkai lands were being challenged silently year after year as human populations grew and forgot about the ancient races of youkai. Decisions would have to be made regarding how to handle the human populations going forward. He made a few mental notes about propositioning the human lords when he returned before he landed outside the gates of the toradaiyoukai's castle. Steeling himself for the aloof cats' teasing and flighty nature over the dinner he was sure would ensue, he strode forward to be received.

*Based loosely on Sannohe Castle, if you want to check it out


	8. Chapter 8 - Before and After

**Author's Note**: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 8 - Before and After**

"So that I am sure I understand, my Lord: you wish me to travel to the woods outside Niigata to locate your hanyou half-brother, Inuyasha, and ascertain the trouble with his youki?" Ren furrowed his brow but remained at ease in front of his Lord. Disrespect was not tolerated, no matter **how** confusing the request.

"Did I not clearly say as much, Ren? Now go. Time may be of the essence." Sesshoumaru waved a dismissive hand towards the captain as he continued on his way down the hall and to his study.

"Immediately, my Lord Sesshoumaru. I will pack and leave at once." Ren gave a swift bow and turned on his heel to make ready for the journey. Curiosity was immediately eating the captain alive and he was anxious to see what had so concerned Sesshoumaru-sama about the hanyou he had only ever heard tales of.

Sesshoumaru was aware, of course, the captain probably had many questions and was at this moment suppressing his intense curiosity but he was thankful Ren let it go and dismissed himself. The captain, at least, understood how to do his job properly.

Only two days had passed since he had left Inuyasha in the forest but his half-brother had seemed to think each moment was precious so Sesshoumaru was considerately hurrying Ren into action. One task today, at least, was easily done. Now to mollify the council and his mother…

…

Ren's Western Lord had never spoken openly about the hanyou but now he was sending a captain of the royal army to the middle of nowhere to help the pup. All in the midst of tension with the torayoukai and the upcoming mating season, during which his Lord would most definitely be pressured to take a mate once again. Ren was sure Kenshin would find this assignment just as bizarre as he did. He couldn't wait to tell him about it. He almost jogged down the hall from the council chambers and toward the soldier's barracks. Almost.

Ren was young for a captain in the Western army at only three hundred and forty-three years old, but he was cunning and accomplished. Like most inudaiyoukai, his coloring was fair and ethereal.

Razor straight, cropped white hair fell to just below his chin and covered his pointed ears. On his cheeks, two pale pink waves played over his cheekbones matching his warm lips and highlighting grass-green eyes. Centered on his brow was a gibbous moon in a dark magenta, matching that of his twin brother, Kenshin. Ren was fit but still thin and not yet fully matured, giving him the appearance of a rather gangly late teenager even at over three hundred years old.

Ren quickly changed into his gold traveling kimono and black hakama, and fitted himself with his black studded leather boots, gauntlets, and chest plate. He finished packing his single bag with a few tools and some spare clothes for training, just to be safe. Ren took his daishou* from the mounts on the wall and fitted them on his back for travel with his pack, then he headed out of his room and toward the infirmary to find Kenshin.

As he navigated the halls, he reflected on how Kenshin was truly the only other inu to tell his news to. It was odd to him that youkai so defined by pack and familial bonds were so few in number now. Their own parents had been killed in the wars against the ryuyoukai with Lord Touga.

There were so few inudaiyoukai left that most, if not all, now lived within the Western stronghold and worked closely with Lord Sesshoumaru to maintain a tenuous peace. And of course, to posture their female offspring for marriage to a bachelor Lord Sesshoumaru. Ren shook his head at the thought.

_'To be pursued night and day for over __**five hundred**__ years by females from all corners…'_ He shivered at the thought.

Though old enough for a mate himself, he was loath to relinquish his freedom yet. Plus, he had not come across a female that was more interesting than his life as a captain. His square jaw, large eyes, and broad shoulders made him attractive for his species. He had been pursued more than once already.

Surely, someone someday would pair he or his brother off to a noble daughter from somewhere but until that day, he would happily train soldiers and roam around Japan at Lord Sesshoumaru's bidding.

Ren rounded the corner to the infirmary and looked curiously around, neck craning and on the swivel for the brother his senses told him was here. Finding Kenshin working with a patient behind a screen, he leaned into the doorframe and waited impatiently for a chance to relay his news, scanning his claws for… occupation.

His twin brother, Kenshin, was built exactly the same but favored a shorter white mop of cropped hair tousled at odd angles all over his head. His markings were different from his brother's but just as beautiful. Kenshin's eyes were a dark magenta, uncommon to inudaiyoukai, and a single wave of pale green adorned each of his cheeks.

As a pup, Kenshin had been a favorite of the visiting daiyoukai daughters, all fawning over him for his adorable face and unique coloring. He was such a shy pup back then though, that he would run and hide whenever anyone came to visit. Ren chuckled at the idea that he probably still would and used the infirmary more as a hideaway than a place of work.

Kenshin was busy checking over a soldier that had run afoul of a rogue boar youkai on patrol.

"That should do it, Inaba. It's set now and should heal fairly quickly. I'll be back over to check on you in a few hours." Kenshin gathered his supplies from the bed and wheeled the cart of things away from the soldier's bedside. He smoothed his robes below the tasuki** as he put the cart back in the corner of the room. The long indigo robes framed in white indicated his status as a healer in the Western Fortress. The only other article Kenshin wore was an amulet that had been his mother's. On a thick silver chain, a teardrop-shaped silver pendant housed a faceted amber stone that had a strange incandescence, as if lit from within.

"Hello, brother. To what do I owe the pleasure today?" Kenshin asked, not looking up from his supplies.

"So formal, Kenshin. And after I've come all this way to tell you the fascinating news." Ren wiggled his eyebrows in delight.

Kenshin sighed. If his brother was in his true form, his tail would be wagging, he was certain.

"Am I to ask again, Ren, or will you tell me?"

"Our Lord Sesshoumaru is sending me North to train his hanyou half-brother to control his youki! Is that not the most **unusual** thing you have heard this century?"

Ren had Kenshin's attention then. "It is not the **most** unusual this century but it does rank highly on my list. Why on earth is he doing such a thing? Have they reconciled?"

"Not that I am aware but I am anxious to go. Wanted to come tell you goodbye first."

"We are not pups anymore, Ren. I will be fine in your absence." Kenshin turned sour at the implication he was still the defenseless runt he used to be.

Ren held his hands up in apology. "Sorry, little brother. I'll be on my way then. See you when I get back." Ren ruffled his twin's hair and turned to leave the infirmary. He was stopped when a clawed hand pinched his sleeve.

"Wait. Here take this with you, just in case." Kenshin let his worry show. He was holding a small pouch which Ren was sure had some herbs, bandages, and healing salves in it.

"Be safe, Ren." The brothers were all the pack they had left. It was natural for Kenshin to feel worry at his brother's departure. Ren waved a goodbye and made his way to the open courtyard to shift to his true form and start the journey to the Lord's half-brother.

_'This is sure to be an interesting tale…'_ Ren thought as he galloped North along the coastline, gleefully tasting the open air with his tongue lolling from the side of his mouth.

…

Inuyasha was still sleeping when Ren touched down in the woods nearby. Out of consideration, the inudaiyoukai captain flared his youki to let Inuyasha know he was there and attempting to find him. When no response came, Ren sniffed the air and started walking through the willows to find the hanyou on foot.

He came to a clearing nearby and noticed the sleeping hanyou laid back against a tree. There were a few rabbit carcasses strewn near a fire and a pack left unattended near a fallen log but his true quarry was sleeping the afternoon away under a large willow, oblivious to the company he now kept. The inudaiyoukai shifted from a towering white dog to the humanoid form he wore most often. It was less comfortable but much more manageable.

Ren sighed. _'This pup is __**trying**__ to die…'_

Only he wasn't a pup at all really. Ren saw that Inuyasha seemed almost as mature as he himself was, which shouldn't have been possible. At most, Inuyasha could be close to two hundred and fifty years old, although his Lord was not specific in his details, but he should still be smaller and less mature than he was. Curious.

Ren found himself excited for the hanyou to wake so he could begin his study of Inuyasha's youki problem. He cast out his aura to feel the hanyou out and found a massive amount of youki was sleeping in his average form. Ren furrowed his brow at the thought that a half-demon could house more youki than most of the inuyoukai soldiers now living at the Fortress. Very curious.

What was more, Inuyasha's youki was wild and untamed. It clawed at everything nearby even while the pup was sleeping. Clearly, he had not trained his youki to obey him and it was causing him problems. His aura should have been dormant, sleeping as its owner was. More questions to be answered.

As another hour passed, Ren found his impatience getting the best of him. Crossing the clearing, he bent down and touched Inuyasha's shoulder lightly. When the hanyou didn't stir, he pinched the hanyou's ear roughly.

"Oi, pup. Time to wake up!"

"Hmm?" Inuyasha rubbed swollen and sleepy eyes and tried to refocus in the bright afternoon sunlight.

He was suddenly aware of the presence of another person in his camp and leapt to his feet, claws out. The posturing was cut short however as Inuyasha made a pained growl, grabbed his head with one head, and heavily sunk back to the ground on one knee.

"Don't fear, Inuyasha-sama. I am Ren, captain of the royal army of the West and sent by my Lord Sesshoumaru to assist you." Ren shifted in a flash to stand across the clearing and placed both fists on his hips. He waited to the hanyou to recover.

"I'm no one's lord, **Ren**, so don't start." Inuyasha was recovering slowly but managed to stand straight for the moment, brushing the dirt from his hakama.

It was then Ren finally got a good look at the half-brother of his mighty Lord. The family resemblance was undeniable but where Sesshoumaru was regal and thoughtful, this one was obviously casual and brash. His mannerisms were uncouth and his speech was clearly common. Both affectations of his wild upbringing, the captain remembered.

No, not upbringing, he corrected. Survival. Ren remembered the story of the night the hanyou was born and then later when he was left alone to fend for himself much too young. Ren could sympathize. He and his brother had been left as pups as well, though not by choice but also as a casualty of war.

The hanyou was only half dressed as well, but that was a question he would ask later.

Most importantly, Ren immediately noticed that Inuyasha's youki was violently out of his control. While not physically manifested, it was swirling around him wildly, snapping and provoking anything near to its owner.

Ren could sense that the hanyou was trying to control it simply by remaining calm and unaffected, but failing miserably. Physically, Inuyasha was exhausted from the effort but he was actually doing very little to help himself. In this way, at least, Ren might be able to help in the short term.

"Inuyasha-sama, my Lord has informed me that you believe your youki is killing you? I echo his sentiments that this is impossible but seeing you now, I admit I am confused. I have never encountered youki that seems to dwarf its owner before. Perhaps I can help however.

If I can teach you to control small amounts your energy first, and then you expand that lesson to the rest of your youki in the future, then perhaps the episodes will cease. At the very least, it gives me a place to start. Does that sound agreeable?"

"Whatever it takes, Ren. This shit can't go on." Inuyasha was just awake from a nap and already he was tired again, blinking slowly but trying to remain upright and engaged.

"Specifically, **what** can't go on, Inuyasha-sama?"

"The bastard didn't tell you?"

Ren's mouth dropped open in shock at the casual insult.

"Please refrain from insulting my most gracious Lord in my presence. And no, he did not have specifics to tell me about your condition."

"Fine, I won't call the bast- uh, Sesshoumaru names."

Inuyasha didn't want to tell anyone about this problem he was having but so far, he'd had to tell nearly everyone that mattered… and Sesshoumaru. What did it matter now to tell one more? If Ren was here to help, it wouldn't do him any good to hold back. He started the tale to catch Ren up. Even talking made him tired now.

"And I keep losing control and turning into… something else. It used to happen when I would get nearly murdered, as a survival thing, but now it's happenin' all the time and its way more painful than it used to be. I can feel it building over a few days and then my youki just **explodes** and there's nothing I can do until it's used up."

"How do you transform? Is it building even now?"

"Yeah, I can feel it getting close to happenin' again. Be careful, kid. If I start to go nuts, just run. And I'm still me, I think, just a stronger, sadistic, more painful version of me. The transformation is hell."

"Thank you for the warning, Inuyasha-sama. Very well. There is a simple exercise I would like to try first to see how you do. My Lord informed me that you have no training in controlling your energy so we will start with the basics."

Inuyasha lazily nodded. The captain wasn't wrong. Myoga had done his best once Tessaiga had been found but who would have trained an orphaned hanyou to control his demonic energy?

Ren laid his pack and swords down against the fallen log and centered himself in the clearing.

"Stand here with me. We are going to physically manifest a small amount of your youki for you to control for practice and as you gain familiarity with it, you should be able to control it in its entirety much more easily. This is a lesson we first teach young pups."

"Fine. Sounds great. Let's get started." Inuyasha's stomach chose that moment to make itself known. "Damn. After I hunt down a meal, then. Be back soon."

"As you say." Ren almost huffed in annoyance.

Inuyasha bounded off into the woods and left Ren there a little bewildered. He had never heard of such a strange problem before. A few daiyoukai pups might have had trouble with transformation into a smaller form but it was always a problem of perception, not a problem with their actual energy. Ren was dying to see what the transformation looked like but the hanyou seemed almost afraid.

…

"Kagome! Let me out! I'll clean it up, I promise!" Shippou yelled with his eyes closed as he floated in the air in a pale blue sphere of spiritual energy at the center of the house. Kagome noted that oddly, the floating barrier seemed to shift color to a sakura pink wherever Shippou was touching it. That would be a question later for Miroku. For now, she had a kit to reprimand.

Kagome stood below him, hands on her hips and eyebrows furrowed.

"You'd better, little man, or you'll find yourself without supper tonight. Now help me clean this up."

She reached up and dissolved the floating barrier, catching Shippou at the same time. The floating barrier would never have hurt the kit but she could put him in time-out well enough.

"I didn't think you were that good at those yet, heh." Shippou said with a grin, finding a cleaning towel and starting work on the paint that splattered the walls around the inside of the doorway as soon as she put him down.

The trick had been a simple one: a sentient fog of paint that was supposed to paint the faces of those that walked through it but when Kagome had gotten home early and interrupted him, he lost focus and it had exploded in her face as she walked through the door. Shippou would have felt bad but he was too busy laughing at the rainbow of paint splatters his mother was spitting out all over the floor while trying to look and sound angry between her own giggles. When Shippou asked her to admit that he'd 'gotten her good,' she stopped laughing and tossed him into the air.

"Yeah well, lucky for you, Miroku was working with me on barriers today and I thought it was an appropriate attention-getter. You're not the only one getting better at his tricks. No more **paint** in the house, okay?" She was scrubbing her own face and trying to swipe some paint off of her tongue when he answered.

"Yes… mama?" Shippou hunched his shoulders and looked back at her.

Her eyes were wistful and warm as he peered at her. "Sweet talk won't help you, kiddo. And yes, it's perfectly fine with me. How many times do I have to accept?"

"I guess I know that. It's just a big deal, you know? It means a lot for another mother to take a kit as her own. It's just not done that often. I'm still getting used to the idea too."

"Well, I'm not a kitsune but I'll love you forever, Shippou." She ruffled his soft hair. "Now, clean up this mess, mister. I'm going to get some more fresh water out back."

"Kay…" Shippou sighed but went back to scrubbing.

Kagome walked out the back door behind the house and found the well. As she pulled the bucket back up, she glanced across the field to forest beyond. Inuyasha's Forest.

Before she could stop the thought, she was thinking of Inuyasha again and how he wouldn't think this was as funny as she did. Suddenly, she was angry. Slapping one hand down on the lip of the well and squeezing her eyes shut, the feelings of frustration and betrayal constricted her heart again. Why the **hell** had he disappeared like that? And why the **hell** wasn't he back yet?

Miroku alone had been left with instructions to let her know he was fine but had to take care of this alone. Inuyasha had refused to tell Miroku where he was going, saying he didn't know himself but he was tracking Sesshoumaru so he didn't how long he'd be gone or how far he'd have to go.

Two weeks had already passed and he hadn't returned. She knew logically that a month-long trip here was normal given the rate of travel and the impediments along the road but Inuyasha **wasn't** a human traveling on the road and sleeping all night, and he should have been on his way back by now. Boy, was he getting an earful when he got home.

Unless…

No. There would be time to worry about that later. For now, she had a kit to take care of and a mess to clean. She gathered her water and went back into the house to work and sleep through another lonely night.

…

"So now that you have eaten and napped today, can we please get started?" Ren asked, maintaining a polite tone despite his frustration.

"Yeah sure, but don't get mad at me when it was Sesshoumaru that sent you out here without telling me anything in advance. I had no idea when or where you'd show up."

"Fair enough, Inuyasha-sama. To begin, come here." Ren held a hand out, palm up, in request for Inuyasha's hand.

"Ya gonna hold my hand, Ren? That gonna teach me anything?" Inuyasha's mouth turned up at the obvious frustration Ren was building.

Something about this guy made Inuyasha want to tease him. He was a kid still and he was smugly waltzing around like he owned the West himself. Talented or not, he was fun to pester.

_'This kid reminds me too much of Sesshoumaru…'_

"Do you make it a habit to anger all those who try to help you, hanyou?" Ren was rising to the challenge.

Inuyasha barked a laugh then. "As a matter of fact, I tried to kill them all first instead. Even my wife." He laughed again. It felt good after being so exhausted a little while ago.

"Wife? Do you mean you are mated?"

"Mated? Well, we're married so, yeah I guess. That's one of the perks."

"This explains much, Inuyasha-sama." Ren regained his composure. "Your knowledge of youkai customs must be limited. Marriage is a **human** convention. Mating is the youkai parallel to 'marriage,' but it requires a physical bonding of youki. Have you done as much with your wife?"

"Bonding with youki? No, and I don't think that would work with my wife. She's human… and a priestess."

"Miko?! Are you serious?" Ren's inu curiosity overwhelmed his manners then. This was too good a story not to hear. "Do tell, Inuyasha-sama."

Inuyasha's eyes softened a little at the **request.** It would feel good to tell a familiar tale in the midst of all this uncertainty. At least he knew how this story ended.

"Don't wanna hold my hand anymore then, kid?"

"I am not a 'kid' **or** a pup. I'll have you know I passed my three hundred and forty third spring already!"

"No fucking way. **Gods**, you assholes all look so young."

"Did you really just refer to all inudaiyoukai as 'assholes'? My Lord Sesshoumaru was not forthcoming about your manners, I'm afraid, but now I understand his reluctance to work with you." Ren crossed his arms and looked down his nose at the scoffing hanyou.

"Fine. I'll tell you the story but then we get to work. I want to get back home to her already. It all started one summer seven years ago…"

Inuyasha relayed the abbreviated version of the whole sordid tale of their journey to gather jewel shards, and the battles and hardships they faced. He talked about Shippou and Miroku and Sango fondly and enjoyed thinking of them all together in Edo now.

He surprised himself in talking about Kouga and his strange, continued attraction to Kagome. He told Ren about the other two hanyou he had encountered and allied himself with. He glazed over the encounters with Kikyou, thinking most of the encounters weren't critical to the story, but Ren's eyes widened as he went on to talk of their defeat of Naraku, and the separation of he and Kagome for three years before their reuniting at the well this year. He left out the most personal details but told him they were happily married now.

"And that's why I've gotta fix this. We just settled down, were just now allowed to be happy, and now it's all being ruined by me again."

The frustration at his problem was written on his face and he clenched his fists at his sides.

"I understand now, Inuyasha-sama. Thank you for sharing your captivating story with me. Alas, it is getting late now, I'm afraid. Shall we call it a day and make camp for the night? We can begin training early in the morning."

"Look, I know you can see even better in the dark than I can but I'll be fine so let's get started. The sooner I get this taken care of, the better… if that's fine with you, I mean."

Telling Ren the story of the best times of his life had softened his opinion of the kid.

"It is fine with me. Same request as before: stand next to me and hold out your hand like this. Good."

The two stood in the center of the clearing, one palm open up to the fading light of the late evening.

"Now take a claw and slice the palm of your hand. Do not look so offended… Do as I say. Not deep, just enough to draw blood, truly."

"What the hell's **that** supposed to do?"

"The scent of blood stirs our instincts, gives rise to our youki in a primal way. The scent of even your own blood should be making you feel anxious, energetic, and anticipatory. We use this technique with pups that show promise in youki manipulation."

Ren repeated the exercise on his own palm in the interest of fairness. He felt a strong pulse of youki across the clearing, but was focused on his own palm and the gathering energy there.

"Is it working, Inuyasha-sama?"

As Ren looked up from his palm to see the effect of his explanation, he was frozen by the furious stare of two glowing red eyes set into a hanyou who was now laboriously breathing across the clearing and sending a despairing look his way.

"Run! _Argh_…Quick! Get aw- _Aaagh!_" Inuyasha doubled over, clutching his heart.

"Inuyasha-sama, what is the matter?"

"It's happening… again, Ren. **Fucking go!**"

"I will not. This is why I am here. What is happening to you? Is this what you told my Lord you feared happening?"

"Yes. **Shit!** Don't let me hurt you, kid, **please**…"

Inuyasha forced his gaze around the clearing, realizing too late that Tessaiga was far away at the edge, leaning against the tree where he had been sleeping.

"Ren, quick, grab my- _Gah!_" He was cut off but a fierce and guttural growl as the change took over and he was powerless to stop it once again.

Ren watched as the hanyou lost control of himself and broke eye contact to stare blankly downward as he yelled in agony. Concentrated raw energy eerily seeped out from Inuyasha and crept outward along the forest floor, laying there almost benignly. The energy was lit like magma at the hanyou's feet, pulsing and shifting. When it began to lift from the dirt, crackling like sanguine electricity, it loudly and violently wrapped in fiery tendrils around Inuyasha's screaming form.

A cloud slowly began to physically manifest from the ribbons of visceral energy, creating a blazing sphere and hiding Inuyasha from Ren's view. Suddenly, it thundered like cannon fire and exploded, striking Ren where he stood only a few feet away.

The experienced captain was launched backward to edge of the clearing. He flipped in midair to land on his feet, boots skidding to a stop at the tree line and cropped white hair whipping wildly around his face. As the explosion was still pressing him backward, he raised his gauntlets to protect his face from the growing tornado of youki and debris but kept eyes locked on the hanyou.

Inuyasha was now visible and his body twisted and bulged unnaturally but was rooted to the center of the clearing. Ren could hear him yelling undecipherable words to himself in the midst of his struggle, and he understood that he was fighting his instincts and what they were telling him to do.

The hanyou had forgotten Ren was there with him so when the captain yelled for Inuyasha to rein in his energy, glowing red eyes locked on to the inudaiyoukai and Inuyasha… smiled.

It was twisted and dark, and the tornado of youki suddenly quieted leaving a vacuum of silence in the clearing. Leaves and dirt began to fall back to earth at the two inu stared each other down, neither moving.

"Shit." Ren suddenly felt fear.

He recognized the unstable pattern of youki as that of a transformed daiyoukai and if Inuyasha was warring with his instincts for control, he was sure the hanyou was losing. This meant that Ren had just unknowingly made himself the hunted, being the only other being in the forest with any measure of power.

This unstable, youki-crazed Inuyasha would be itching to test his strength against anything and everything until he was exhausted or killed. Ren hoped it wouldn't come to that but it could.

They stared at each other for a few seconds at most before Ren remembered his swords and pack were still somewhere nearby. He moved only his eyes to locate his things. They were several feet away, on the ground near the log they had used as a bench only a few minutes ago but that was now farther away after being caught up the blast of youki.

Ren relaxed his posture and slowly started to pace around the clearing, arching his path smoothly around to where his swords and pack were. If he was right, Inuyasha would take his slow pacing as stalking and use the opportunity to measure his opponent. Ren was using it to escape but knowledge of instinctual behavior in inu was useful.

He felt pity for the hanyou now. He would be ruled by his instincts until they found a way to bring him back. Ren could not risk killing even a rogue heir to the West without first speaking with his Lord. Perhaps Sesshoumaru would have a better plan.

Inuyasha took the bait and matched Ren's pacing in the opposite direction, circling him and sizing him up with his dangerous gaze. Ren let the farce continue until he was within only a few feet of his possessions.

The captain flared his youki, and shifting through the space as quickly as his demonic speed would allow, reached down to grab his swords and then sprint for home to report to Lord Sesshoumaru. He was stopped, however, as he reached down for his swords. The vice-like grip of a rabid inuhanyou was deepening his claws into the flesh of Ren's left forearm before he realized what had happened.

Panic gripped Ren and his eyes snapped open as he realized he was caught in a defenseless position, bent in half with an outstretched arm. The captain was so caught off-guard that he hesitated to remove Inuyasha from him in the split second he was given. He suddenly felt the warmth of his youki leave him. He was too panicked to notice the extent of the pull and wrote the sensation off as fear.

Inuyasha was staring down at the inudaiyoukai as if he was disappointed. A face that reminded Ren of his Lord at his most vicious. An angry snarl was the only warning he had before Inuyasha began to roughly twist the arm in his grasp, digging lengthened claws deeper into Ren's exposed limb. With a sickening squelch, the snapping of bone, and ripping flesh, Ren was divested of his left forearm in one swift motion. Inuyasha had cleanly torn off the young captain's left arm just below the elbow.

Viridian eyes widened in surprise and horror and Ren heaved in pain. Only panic and adrenaline kept the captain from screaming as blood began to wet the ground beneath him. Knowing shock and paralyzing pain would set in soon, Ren grabbed his pack and only the wakizashi from beneath him with his one hand, and launched himself into the sky.

If Inuyasha could follow him here, he would die.

He chanced a glance down at the inuhanyou as he rose upward. Inuyasha was still standing stock still in the clearing, following Ren's retreat with his eyes and holding the severed arm in his grasp. Suddenly, he dropped the arm, belted the abandoned katana, and disappeared in a red blur into the forest.

_'So, he cannot manifest his youki at will… Good. Something positive to tell my Lord at least...'_

Pain was beginning to creep in now only seconds after leaving the ground. As the full force of what happened finally settled on him, Ren wept silently at the loss of his arm and his livelihood as he sped back to the Western fortress through the night sky. Who would employ a captain of the army with only one arm?

...

*A matching set of katana and shorter sword; a wakizashi in this case.

**The tieback for kimono, that loop under the arms and around the back to keep sleeves from being a nuisance.


	9. Chapter 9 - Que Sera

**Author's Note**: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 9 - Que Sera**

"Kenshin! **Kenshin!** Damn it all!" Ren gasped for air and an exhausted sob escaped his pale lips as he landed clumsily at the gates of the Western fortress, trying to catch himself from slamming into the ground with his hands and remembering too late that one was now missing.

He tumbled forward and bloodied his head and left cheek as he landed on the gravel in the entryway. Exhaustion and blood loss were starting to win over and the captain was drifting in and out of consciousness. He forced himself upright, leaving a dripping trail of blood over the white stones, and jogged and stumbled his way in the direction he thought the infirmary was. He couldn't remember clearly. Was it that way, or over there? Surely his brother would be there but Ren's vision was fading at the edges, darkness creeping in, and that was a sure sign he would pass out before long.

Hours of flying, physical trauma, and emotional turmoil had weakened and worn down the young inudaiyoukai. The adrenaline rush he had been operating on for hours was quickly fading and if he didn't find his brother soon, he might pass out here in the courtyard and would not be discovered for hours. Hours would be too late.

In a last-ditch effort to get anyone's attention, he howled at the darkening sky and flared his youki to inappropriate levels, expending the last of it all before collapsing in a bloodied and dusty heap in the central courtyard of the fortress. His call for help didn't go unnoticed.

Kenshin appeared in a whiff of youki, looking annoyed but surprised Ren was back so soon.

"Ren? What in the seven hells are you- Oh no… No!"

Kenshin was at his side in a moment, hands ghosting over his injuries and assessing his brother with practiced hands. Blood drenched Ren's clothing from shoulder to shoes on his left side, and more was blooming in his hairline and dripping down his forehead. He was missing half of his left sleeve and where was his-

"Oh Ren… Oh no." Kenshin couldn't stop the welling of tears for his brother's loss. He quickly blinked them back. If they could find the limb, it could be reattached. Worry about that later.

He was too pale. Much too pale. Demonic hearing could hear Ren's heart stuttering with every other beat and his presence was almost undetectable when Kenshin reached out to assess his aura. Mortal fear began to bloom then, truly afraid for his brother's life.

"What did he **do** to you?" Kenshin whispered to himself.

After determining that Ren's injuries would allow him to be moved, Kenshin scooped his unconscious brother up and quickly made it to the infirmary. After a few hours of tireless cleaning, cauterizing, and bandaging, Ren was laying in an infirmary bed with a bandaged arm but alive and fast asleep. Kenshin had dosed him with both sleeping and youki recovery agents.

For reasons Kenshin did not know, his brother had been drained of nearly all of his youki. So, when Ren's sturdy and capable body **should** have been healing itself quickly as he flew back, instead he had exhausted and nearly exsanguinated himself simply getting back to the Fortress.

And there was the matter of Ren's missing arm. That was dispiriting for a soldier especially and Ren would be mournful when he woke, Kenshin knew. How it had happened, he could only guess until his brother regained consciousness. Setting aside his brother's impending sorrow and the anticipation of it, the best thing Kenshin could do now was to request a meeting with Lord Sesshoumaru to explain the situation. He hoped that his knowledge about the covert mission to help the hanyou wouldn't be a surprise to his Lord as he delivered his report. The news of Ren's condition would be shock enough.

Checking Ren over one last time for signs of distress and rubbing tired magenta eyes, Kenshin moved to leave the infirmary and find Lord Sesshoumaru. He moved silently through the halls, thinking about what he would tell the Lord of the West. Surely, his Lordship hadn't anticipated violence like this when he sent Ren to analyze Inuyasha.

The massive and intimidating youki signature was easy enough to find here at the Fortress and Kenshin headed there with measured steps, thinking about how best to tell Sesshoumaru-sama about his favorite captain's distressing return.

…

Here in the Western Fortress, Sesshoumaru did not find it necessary to shield his aura. Keeping his youki hidden wasn't tiresome but it gave him peace to allow himself to be open and at rest.

Moving among the cats had set his teeth on edge. Their mannerisms and politics were so unusual that inu frequently miscommunicated and insulted them without meaning to. Very little could be accomplished due to their flighty and impulsive natures. It was irksome and he was glad to be home.

The visit had been a productive one, however, and he was satisfied to see that the tigers were settled in and had very little trouble with the few human villages near them. Being so far north, the streak* and their kin would have very little interaction with the other cardinal lords. Sesshoumaru had been the first to greet them since the appointment of their pack to rule the North. They had already named an heir and determined the pecking order within the new royal families. These things always started and ended with blood and hurt feelings and the Western Lord was glad to hear it had all occurred prior to his visit.

The subsequent visit to the human palace had not gone so well, and negotiations had been tense and dishonest on the part of the humans. More disappointment in humans as a species.

_'So incapable of setting aside fear that they would resort to falsehoods to appease me. Weak. Useless. Dishonorable.'_

The humans that called themselves the Utsunomiya clan had promised to deliver everything he had demanded in payment for protection from the other cardinal youkai lords in the event of war. They had balked at his requests for goods to be delivered to the West in due time, and he was irate at the failure of the humans to see this as the olive branch it was. The warrior in him knew he could take whatever he desired from this lesser species but the politician knew the growing populations of lesser youkai would need the support of the humans in the future. While they might never work side by side, they didn't need to know that food and goods were being traded between them to their mutual benefit.

His thoughts turned back to patrolling his lands and where he was to visit next as gold eyes scanned the gardens in the innermost courtyard. The flowers and trees were beginning to wilt with the onset of autumn. Rin would be disappointed but nature and time wait for no one.

Sesshoumaru did not find it necessary to wear his armor or keep his swords on his person while at home. They were all just down the hall in his private rooms, within easy reach, but it was a relief not to be weighed down with the thoughts of attack at any moment.

Violence had its place in the wide world but this was his den, his home, and he was at peace here now that the immediate threats to the West had been removed. He had settled for a gold silk haori emblazoned with a hexagonal pattern scattered across the chest and sleeves, a white kosode, and navy hakama as he worked this morning. At the moment, Sesshoumaru was deep in thought planning the next rounds of official visits.

The ryudaiyoukai in the East were being oddly silent these days but his spies had returned no evidence of any subterfuge. The dragons were not known for sitting still as silent bystanders as the world rapidly changed around them. There would be an uproar within the next decade revolving around wounded pride or succession out of boredom, he was sure.

Maybe he could take the longest trip to the South first and visit the ruling families of the takadaiyoukai instead. The hawks and their kind were overly territorial but allies nonetheless. Since they had sent one of their own to the Fortress as an emissary a few decades ago, he felt an amiable visit was in order. Sesshoumaru's thoughts were interrupted by a nervous, arhythmic knock at his study door.

"Enter."

The healer Kenshin stepped into the study with a creased brow and reeking of nerves and sorrow. Sesshoumaru turned to face Kenshin from his place in the inner doorway to the garden. The Lord's hands were clasped behind his back and he appeared relaxed, framed by the open shoji doors and backlit by the morning sun reflecting off of the garden behind him.

_'No point in waiting, Kenshin. Out with it.'_ He forced himself forward. Maybe he **was** still a shy pup…

"Sesshoumaru-sama," Kenshin bowed, "I am here to inform you that Ren has returned from his mission."

"Then why is the captain not here delivering his report?" Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Ren is unable to visit at the moment because he is unconscious, my Lord. He sustained injury while he was traveling and- well, he has lost his left arm, my Lord. He is stable and resting now but his youki was completely depleted before he returned and he collapsed as he reached the Fortress."

Sesshoumaru turned away from him then and stared back out into the courtyard. He allowed his eyes to close in sorrow briefly for the captain.

_'Such a thing should not have happened to the pup. But how?'_

Feelings dampened, he turned back to Kenshin. He focused on the healer more intently and pressed on for more information.

"Have you any idea how Ren sustained this injury?"

"No, my Lord, but it was an injury caused by claws, I believe. Jagged and inefficient. Most violent." Kenshin's eyes took on another layer of sadness at the thought of what Ren had endured.

Sesshoumaru looked back out into the garden and pondered what could have happened. No, there was no point conjecturing. Ren would have to tell them when he woke.

"Thank you for tending to him and reporting in his absence. Notify me when he wakes."

From the hallway just outside of the study, raised voices and shuffling feet could suddenly be heard.

"Stop fussing at me, woman! No need- _Ack_\- Sesshoumaru-sama, and we have no- **Seven hells!** -no time to waste…" The statement was cut off by a ragged coughing fit. The servant who was trying and failing to coax the captain back to bed looked like she was about to be whipped for failing in her duties.

"Ren-san, please, come back to the infirmary!" the tow-headed female servant pleaded from down the hallway.

Two pairs of eyes snapped to the doorway where Ren appeared sweating, flushed and panting, leaning heavily against the wood. Kenshin forgot Sesshoumaru was there, turned his back to him and relieved his brother, lifting him up and giving Ren his left shoulder to lean on.

"Tomomi, **what** is he doing here?" He glared over Ren's shoulder at the timid servant. "What are you doing here? You should be asleep, you idiot." Kenshin admonished his brother, forgetting his Lord was present. Frustrated, he waved her away.

Ren grinned his thanks at the support of his brother's shoulder and turned his serious attention back to Sesshoumaru.

"This is important, Kenshin. I can't lay around. Apologies, my Lord. I cannot greet you properly without falling over but at this moment, Inuyasha-sama is running wild through the forest somewhere in the North."

"The hanyou never did care for propriety. Did the lesson not go well?"

"No, my Lord, there was no lesson. I mean he is **lost** to his youki. He has transformed into a beast driven by pure instinct and no longer recognizes friend from foe."

Kenshin cut in then, staring shocked at his brother's face. "Don't tell me it was Inuyasha-sama who did this?" He gestured to the bandaged stump hanging to his left.

"It was." Ren felt truly sorry as he watched his Lord's eyes widen in shock. "I was unprepared for his transformation and the strength it gave him. I am not sure I could have gotten away unscathed after he decided to kill me, but I left him on the ground and flew here as fast as I could. If he had followed me into the air, I would be dead. I have no doubt."

_'The hanyou should not have been capable of attacking a fully realized daiyoukai. Other forces are at work.'_ Sesshoumaru thought.

"Ren, sit down." Sesshoumaru realized the captain was in terrible pain, he needed to divulge the entire situation, and the conversation might last longer if Ren did not pass out trying to remain standing in his presence.

"I would not normally accept, my Lord, but I am exceedingly exhausted for some reason." Ren clumsily sat down on the mat facing Sesshoumaru, dragging Kenshin with him.

Kenshin cut in then. "I can help. Here." He handed an herbal tincture to Ren, having assumed he would need it eventually today and tucked it away. "Drink and do not spit it out. I will explain, my Lord, as he drinks. When Ren arrived, he was maimed and exhausted, as I have told you. After assessing and addressing his wounds, I began to wonder why it was he had not begun to heal on the way back to the Fortress. It was then I discovered that his youki had been **drained**."

Ren sputtered beside him as he took the first sip, missing the discussion about his energy. "**Gods**, that is terrible!"

Kenshin shushed him and gestured for Ren to finish it. "Stop whining and drink."

"Drained? How?" Sesshoumaru was too curious and apprehensive at this moment to care for the captain's disgust. It was odd but now that he realized it, he had not detected the captain's approach from the infirmary at all.

_'It couldn't be…'_ Sesshoumaru needed more information.

"I do not know, my Lord, but our bodies always keep a reserve of power for protection and healing. We are typically not capable of using every last bit of our youki, as I am sure you know, but Ren was nearly drained entirely. I am not sure how he made it back here but if he had continued much longer, he might be dead."

Ren finished the bitter and acrid potion and handed the bottle back to Kenshin.

"Gods, that is awful stuff. Forgive me, my Lord. But drained, Kenshin? How? I felt the warmth of my youki leave me when Inuyasha-sama touched me but I thought it was dread. Drained by touch?"

"That I cannot say. I have never encountered such a thing before but you should not have been able to **use** all of your power in your weakened state, especially as your body should have been maintaining and healing itself, so I have no other explanation."

Sesshoumaru could wait no longer.

"Ren, tell This One what happened. Spare no detail."

Ren nodded and recounted the events of the last several hours. How he found Inuyasha exhausted, how he spoke of his life in Edo, and how Ren had attempted a basic lesson in youki manipulation. Sesshoumaru nodded at appropriate points in the story, agreeing with the captain's approach, and when the description of Inuyasha's transformation was complete, Sesshoumaru stood and walked back to door facing the garden.

"The hanyou was right then, my Lord? When he said his youki was overtaking him?" Kenshin cast worried and fearful eyes towards Sesshoumaru.

"He was. He is now not only a fugitive of the West but a danger to himself and any youkai of power he comes across. I will locate and restrain him for his own safety. Prepare a cell to house him, Ren, and alert no one to the situation until I return."

Ren looked shocked and smelled of regret and shame, but Sesshoumaru did not understand why.

"My Lord, whom should I promote to captain in my stead?"

Kenshin hung his head for his brother. Losing his position would devastate him.

"No one. Are you leaving, Ren?" Sesshoumaru asked.

Two pairs of young inudaiyoukai eyes snapped back up to the Lord in disbelief.

"Well, n- no my Lord Sesshoumaru, but I can hardly serve you while m- missing an arm." Ren stammered in shame.

Sesshoumaru cut his eyes dangerously at the captain then.

"Are you suggesting that one cannot effectively rule with an absent limb, captain?"

The Western Lord carefully contained his youki even in his outrage. If the captain was seconds from falling over, unshielded youki might incapacitate him.

Ren suddenly remembered the events of the last several years and bent his head low to the floor.

"No, my Lord! That isn't what I meant!" he sat up but continued to look at the floor in humility. "I only meant that as only a captain, you could easily replace me with someone more efficient."

"Are you healing well now that your youki is recovering?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Yes, my Lord and I will find useful employment elsewhere in the Fortress, if that is acceptable."

So, the pup was going to give up a promising career for his pride. Sometimes forfeiture was the honorable course of action but this was not the time. The boy would need convincing, it seemed. Sesshoumaru raised his chin and stared down his nose at Ren in a silent challenge.

"Do you no longer wish to remain a captain of the Western army?"

"Of course, I do, my Lord, but with one arm, I can hardly-"

"Are you able to lift a sword with your right arm? Has your injury limited your intellect?"

"Yes, I am and no, my mind was unaffected. My right was my dominant hand before-"

"Then I command you to remain in your post and return to training as soon as you are able. Kenshin will keep me informed of your progress."

"Yes, my Lord but I-"

"**Captain!**" Sesshoumaru's voice lowered and resonated with command, ending in a low growl. "Do you intend to refuse This Sesshoumaru in his request to continue to employ you?"

Ren yelped a whine and lowered his head to the side to expose his neck in submission. "No, my Lord. I will continue to serve the West faithfully." The captain looked up and smiled. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama!"

"Then our discussion is over for now. Kenshin, keep me apprised of Ren's recovery and when his convalescence is complete, he may return to his duties."

Ren bowed low again and awkwardly attempted to stand.

"Of course, Sesshoumaru-sama, and I thank you." Kenshin smiled and bowed low as well before bracing his brother again and helping him up out of the room and down the hall.

After the inu brothers left, Sesshoumaru allowed himself to sit at his desk and close his eyes in thought. If Kenshin was correct, and it seemed to Sesshoumaru that he had been, the situation was about to become dire.

_'I did not think it could be true but it must be. Not only has the pup inherited Father's sword and armor, but now his youki abilities as well? Must the Inu no Taisho continue to torment me from beyond the grave?'_

Only one inuyoukai in their extensive recorded history had been born with the ability to absorb the youki of another and utilize the youki as their own. Touga. There was a reason he was the Great General. There was a reason he towered over all others of their race. He had absorbed the youki of hundreds of inu and stronger youkai of other species to attain his strength, and he had put it to good use conquering his enemies without fail.

But for a hanyou, inexperienced with youki manipulation and half-human, this ability was deadly. Inuyasha could drain his victims but the half-human body that housed the stolen youki would never be able to contain it. It really was killing him. And it would. He would grow in power for a time but eventually, the bloodlust and stolen energy would consume him and there would be no coming back.

_'Rin must be fetched here immediately before Inuyasha can be apprehended. The council of the West must be called to discuss the fate of the hanyou as an heir to the West. Whatever their decision, I must find and tame the whelp myself.'_

Sesshoumaru allowed a small amount of shame to enter his mind at dismissing his half-brother's request so easily. Abilities were not necessarily hereditary but it should have crossed the mind of the Lord of the West that such a thing was possible. He himself had inherited his mother's abilities and her coloring. Remembering the incident when Inuyasha had lost himself to his youkai blood, Sesshoumaru had recognized Inuyasha's markings as those of his father. It seemed too likely to be untrue. Inuyasha had taken after Touga in all other ways.

If it was also considered that this had been the one and only time Inuyasha had ever asked for his help outright, it seemed dishonorable in hindsight to have foisted the job onto the captain. Now Ren was maimed and Inuyasha was a serious and growing threat. Sesshoumaru felt the distinct shade of his shame morph into that of regret.

_'Hanyou are indeed an abomination. Inuyasha is not directly at fault for his loss of control, but the next time the cardinal lords meet, we should discuss this occurrence and the prevention or eradication of hanyou in the future.'_

"Jaken!" Sesshoumaru called. The kappa would be hovering nearby, doing something mildly useful.

The sound of webbed feet slapping against the wooden hallway floor was immediate.

"Yes, my Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"Fetch Kouji."

"At once, Sesshumaru-sama!" Jaken smiled at his usefulness and rushed away to fetch the messenger.

Sesshoumaru pulled quill and ink over and began to pen a letter.

A few minutes later, Jaken returned with Kouji and bowed to leave him with his Lord.

"I have brought the pheasant, milord." Sesshoumaru merely looked up to dismiss Jaken and address Kouji.

"How may I be of help, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Kouji bowed low to Sesshoumaru, sweeping a graceful arm out and to the side, and waited for an answer.

"I have a letter to deliver to the former Western Lady at her castle. Do **not** put it in the hands of anyone but the Lady herself. Wait there for her reply, no matter how long it takes."

Sesshoumaru set the letter on the front edge of his desk and looked back down to write another.

"Of course, my Lord. It will be done." Kouji moved forward to take the letter and then beat a hasty retreat from the obviously stressed daiyoukai.

Kouji turned toward the courtyard and began to make his way there immediately. It would feel good to stretch his wings again.

As he walked, his feathered, shoulder-length emerald hair settled behind him and shined iridescent green as he stepped into the sunlight from the palace porch onto the courtyard. His tanned skin was instantly warmed and vermilion eyes framed by long lashes looked excitedly up at the warm morning sun. His loose-fitting, white poet blouse fluttered around a toned chest and arms in the breeze. He stretched upward to warm his body, readying to transform, standing on tiptoes in his calf-high brown leather boots that were tucked over the dark brown breeches he wore.

Finally feeling warmed and ready, Kouji spread his arms wide and tipped his head back as he became his true self for the first time in months. Colorful feathers of claret, emerald green, sapphire blue and pale cream erupted from the swirl of youki and a large pheasant stood in his place, delicately preening already immaculate feathers with a golden beak and along graceful neck. He flapped his thin but powerful wings a few times to stretch and then took off with a graceful leap into the air. The journey would be a short one but he pushed himself and sped there, enjoying the cool breeze of the early autumn.

Sesshoumaru finished writing three additional letters and sealed them.

"Jaken!"

The kappa was back in the study in record time, panting to recover his breath after short legs had carried him to the Palace and back only moments ago.

"See to it that these letters are delivered to the other cardinal lords. There will be a meeting in a week's time if they accept. I am leaving."

He brushed past the tiny youkai and was headed down the hallway to his private rooms.

"To go where, my Lord Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru was already changing his clothes and equipping his armor, readying for travel. Jaken jogged down the hallway to hear the answer.

"Edo."

*A group of tigers is called a streak or an ambush.


	10. Chapter 10 - Say You'll Be There

**Author's Note**: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 10 - Say You'll Be There**

Kagome was exceeding everyone's expectations today.

"How many should I make, _sensei_?" She drawled the last word for fun.

"Kagome-sama, I think ten is enough for now. You are approaching hubris at this point."

Miroku stood with his arms tucked in his sleeves and a wry grin on his face. One brow cocked up over violet eyes that knew she was still holding back even now.

He raised one finger in the air and cleared his throat. "The Great Buddha teaches that one will receive praise and blame, but do not let either affect the poise of the mind: follow the calmness, the absence of pride. And thus, ends my teaching for today."

"Okay, fine, sorry. I'm just so glad this is going so well, you know? It never has before…" she trailed off, refocusing her eyes above her head.

"I agree, but I must call it a day. The sun is setting and there is much… to be done..."

Miroku followed her gaze as he was captivated again by her work.

The young priestess before him was enchanting, blue eyes staring up innocently into the sky at her work as her gentle smile revealed how truly happy she was. Dark raven hair was bouncing gently around her shoulders in loose waves as she stepped this way and that in the yard around the shrine using slim fingers and demure hands to direct her incandescent creations.

Kagome had learned to concentrate her reiki into a physical form and manipulate it around her in the last two days. The effect was a show of skill unlike anything Miroku had ever seen. After the theory had been explained and the meditation completed, Kagome had slowly created a glowing, icy blue butterfly in the palm of her hand and willed it to flutter up into the rafters of the shrine house before blinking out of existence. Miroku had been unable to stop the watering of his eyes at the simple beauty of it. His dear friend was discovering her true power.

Miko robes were dimly reflecting the orbs of power she was directing, lighting up the white and crimson traditional outfit with pale highlights of blue as they drifted close before floating away again.

"I'll take care of the shrine grounds. You go on home." she said, not looking over at him but blinking one of the lights from existence with a pinch of her fingers.

"I was going to assign it to you anyway. As a training exercise, of course." He winked as he walked past her, headed for home.

"Good night, Miroku, and tell Sango and the kids I said 'Hey'!"

"I will. Good evening, Kagome-sama. And well done."

She gave him a grateful smile and glanced back upward at the incandescent orbs of power glowing above her head. Nine spheres in total were traveling in slow figure eights above her head as she held hands open, palms up, willing them to track wherever she wanted.

Kagome was coming into her own in more ways than one.

Her bow skills were intact but improved. Accuracy and precision both were hers through hours of practice and calloused hands.

She had strengthened her body. Her forms were not perfect but they were tidy, and she was sparring with Sango now and holding her own. She would never rival a master but she could defend herself and attack without fear. She had chosen the quarterstaff as her weapon, aside from the bow, because it was used more often to defend than to attack and she had seen enough of violence. Incapacitation should be enough when necessary. It also gave her a useful tool for traveling the countryside, which was tempting her more and more these lonely days.

Miroku had admitted that she was nearing the end of what he could teach her. She had had trouble getting started but once the idea of her energy as an extension of herself was no longer a foreign one, her progress had been incessant. She inhaled lessons about barriers, offensive weapons, detection, and manipulation.

Kaede had been around for a few of her lessons and admitted the same: Kagome was outgrowing them. She had given the young miko a few lessons on more powerful barriers but found that Kagome's natural level of power rendered chants and sutras useless. The elder miko was thrilled to have such an accomplished priestess to survive her.

"I wonder…" Kagome mused. In a flash, the remaining nine orbs were combined into one, pulsing and shifting in midair like a glacial sun several feet above her outstretched hand. With a flick of her hand, the orb shot upward into the sky and illuminated the clouds from within for a brief moment before dispersing. Kagome clenched her fist from its extended position above her and waited, eyes searching.

"Oh well."

She lowered her hand, shrugged, and was headed for the shed to fetch the cleaning tools when the first drop of water fell. A grin split her face in anticipation. Surprised and overjoyed eyes turned back up to the sky and she laughed and turned circles as the small shower covered the shrine grounds and fell in heavy drops for a few minutes.

"Ha! Yes!" She'd have a new trick to show Miroku now.

_'Remember when we talked about rainclouds a while back?'_

Kagome was beginning to understand that her energies applied broadly to the world. She had been brought up to believe that they were for protection and destruction of demonic energies but the more she used them in practice, the less she thought that was true. Or at least, that wasn't all reiki was capable of.

She could use her energy to influence the world around her in new ways all the time. Her experiment with the cloud had been an impulse but she had been thinking about how to influence natural energies around her for some weeks now. Surely such a gift could be used for something grander than just punishing demons.

It was an unconventional idea, granted, but she was an unconventional woman. A priestess but not. Out of time but not separated from it. The lover of a half-demon who was as much a curiosity as she was. A bearer of destiny, both her own and others'. What would her future look like?

As she grabbed the broom and bucket from the shed, her thoughts drifted through the past two weeks. Even her total success today wouldn't take her husband from her mind. Kagome was rapidly approaching the decision to leave and try to find him. She wasn't defenseless anymore and had a horrible feeling something was wrong. He should have at least been back to tell her that nothing had changed. Unless it had. Unless he wasn't **coming** back.

Conjectures were interrupted as a youki, bright and scorching like the sun, blinked into existence at the edges of the village, pulsing impatiently. It was familiar but frightening. Her reiki rose to coat her skin unconsciously.

_'Only one demon I know still around that's __**that**__ powerful and arrogant. Sesshoumaru.'_

But why was he here when Inuyasha had been looking for him? She dropped the broom and bucket and ran down the stairs. Surely, he was here to see Rin but then where was Inuyasha?

…

Sesshoumaru was flying quickly but lower to the forest than usual, scenting for his brother as he went. He was armed and headed for Edo but determined to investigate what had happened to Ren and find any evidence that might help him in assuaging the council to keep Inuyasha alive. When the cardinal leaders and Western council met, he intended to have all of the facts to present a case and be done with them.

Squabbling politicians were the bane of peacetime. At least, during the wars, there had been less talking.

Inuyasha's affliction was now less of a mystery but not having seen the incident, his information was limited. Ren was recovering but exhausted so Sesshoumaru had not pressed him for more information before leaving. The remaining campsite should reveal some clues so he was searching for the camp as he headed in a wide arc towards Edo.

Some hours later, deep into the afternoon, Sesshoumaru caught the captain's scent and dipped down lower to follow it. There were no human settlements for miles around but he was approaching Niigata again. Maybe Inuyasha had simply stayed where Sesshoumaru left him. The hanyou must have been desperate to sit and stay as he was told.

As he landed, two things were clear: Ren's severed arm had been here but was now gone so there was no hope of reattaching it, and Inuyasha had left this clearing as soon as Ren had. His scent was days old now but the scorched earth in the middle of the clearing was clear evidence of the violence Ren had described.

Physical marks on the earth left from intense youki were not uncommon but it should not have been able to come from Inuyasha, half-demon as he was. The remnants of power here were akin to what Sesshoumaru himself might have left during a violent and sudden transformation but that could not be right. Inuyasha had maintained a human form, Ren had said.

Sesshoumaru moved over to where the captain's blood had pooled on the ground and sniffed lightly. The blood had dried and left a black stain on the earth but no other signs of struggle were there. Inuyasha and the captain had both been here only a day or so ago. So, it was true. No signs of struggle meant it had indeed happened too fast for Ren to break free.

_'Surprising. The captain is efficient and powerful. He should not have been taken by surprise. Inuyasha's strength must now be formidable.'_

Suddenly, a pulsating energy past the edge of the clearing caught his attention.

_'Tessaiga? The whelp left father's sword? Why does it call?'_

He went to retrieve it but remembered the barrier that would inevitably strike his hands. The sword was lying several feet into the woods from the clearing and fairly well hidden by the brush. Sesshoumaru removed his gold and indigo sash and as he found the sword, threw it over the scabbard and hilt together and picked it up. The demonic silks should protect it on the journey home. Sesshoumaru was surprised at how light the sword seemed. Unless memory failed him, Inuyasha had reforged the sword with his own fang, restoring the lost demonic energy. If the sword was drained again, Tessaiga must have been constantly funneling energy into maintaining the hanyou's youki.

_'How ironic that I should possess it now but it is without pride or accomplishment. I have indeed been changed this last decade...'_

He would take the time to reflect on the multitude of changes in his attitudes later. For now, Inuyasha was a pressing threat. Rin would need to be moved to safety and then he would hunt Inuyasha down to avoid gossip and conjecture about his father's indiscrimination yet again. He gathered his youki and vaulted from the ground, making his way as fast as he could toward Edo.

…

As the Western Lord descended towards Rin's village, he was shocked to see a huge sphere of reiki leave the shrine grounds and dissipate into the clouds above. He paused in midair, sensing no immediate danger, to watch the spectacle. What was the elderly priestess playing at?

Shortly after, he felt the energy condense and realized what was happening. Reiki was woven into the clouds above and then the energy was called back, gathered like a cinch, and then condensed to make the clouds produce rain. Very rarely was Sesshoumaru impressed but the old miko had succeeded. Surely, she was too advanced in age to be playing tricks at the close of the day though…

Inu curiosity running wild again, he landed at the slope of the hill near the Bone Eater's Well and began a slow walk into the village. Rin might be asleep and there was no need to alarm the humans unnecessarily. Squawking humans was something his nerves did not need tonight. He would grab Rin and her things and be off, mystery of the elderly priestess solved or not.

As he approached the old miko's hut though, the Western Lord could hear her inside working and Rin chatting away with her. If it was not she who had conjured that blast, then who…

"Sesshoumaru!" A voice called him from the direction of the shrine.

His head whipped around, hair and haori sleeves swirling behind him, at the dishonorable use of his name. He scowled at the disrespect. Only one human he had ever met had dared…

"-sama. Sesshoumaru-sama. Sorry. Whew! Those stairs are a killer…" She was panting for breath, leaning over with her hands on her knees, but had corrected her impropriety.

_'Good. At least the old miko is training her replacement to be more respectful… even if she is an unsightly mess.'_

Suddenly her scent filled his nose and he realized this human was familiar. A buried memory. Her scent was mixed with that of his brother and the gore of the scene in his mind's eye. Who was it?

Then she stood and faced him and he was momentarily stilled. Soft cheeks were flushed pink from exercise and licking full lips dried from recovering her breath. Shades of the deep ocean caught the fading sun from the hillside and sparkled against the dark lashes that framed her round, doe-like eyes. Ebony hair was unbound and fell in waves around her face and shoulders, covering full breasts and stopping just below her waist. Her haori sleeves were tied back revealing toned arms and she was properly attired otherwise for the first time he could remember.

More than that, he could feel the thrum of her power beneath the human façade. It was immense and bright. It filled her and threatened to overflow at the slightest provocation. It was ancient and terrible. He could feel his youki rising to the surface in challenge. His baser instincts wanted to test her, provoke her… dominate her.

No, they had met not long ago but he had taken no notice of the disrespectful, naïve slip of a girl that had returned to Edo. Before him now was a different woman entirely. Beautiful, matured, powerful. He instantly shook himself of the thoughts. Why was he so focused on this woman? There was much to be done.

"Miko." he greeted.

"Coming to see Rin?" she asked lightly, watching his guarded golden eyes assess her.

She was dying to ask about Inuyasha but wanted to make sure he was in a relatively amiable mood. Well, amiable for **him**.

"I am removing her to the West for her safety." He glanced back toward the house, breaking his gaze and Kagome was struck by the regality of his profile. He was so much like Inuyasha and yet so different.

"Ah. Is there trouble? Should we be worried here?" Concern laced her voice. The words of warning from the Sesshoumaru of the future echoed in her head.

"Hm. It would be wise to remain alert." A thought occurred to him then and he turned back to her. "Was it you This One saw at the shrine?"

"Ah, saw that, huh? I'm experimenting with reiki. Gives me something to do now that my training is pretty much complete." She was grinning slyly but her pride was evident.

"Training is never 'complete,' miko." he scoffed, "If you are not challenged, you must seek new masters."

Why he was giving her advice, he wasn't sure. He had been mildly impressed, however. She was much improved from their last battle together if the 'experiment' was any indication of her mastery. The few miko he had come across this century paled drastically in comparison.

"I'm sure you're right. By the way, have you seen Inuyasha? He left here to find you a few weeks ago. Did he?"

She thought for just a second she saw him flinch. His eyes darted to Kaede's hut again.

"He did."

His flat, inarticulate answer made her just as worried for some reason. She instantly launched into questioning him, concern written on her face.

"How long ago? Was he okay?"

He remained impassive but found her eyes again.

"No, he requested help-"

"With his youki, yeah I know. But did you help him? Could you?"

Her patience was overtaking her manners and Sesshoumaru had already had a trying day. This miko was testing his tolerance for impertinence.

"Do **not** interrupt me again, priestess."

It was not a request and Kagome knew it. Anger spiked in her chest but she willed it away.

_'He's just an ass, he can't help it. Deep breaths, Kagome. Suck it up. You need him to talk.'_ she reasoned with herself.

"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama." She gave a slight bow, realizing how dangerously close she might be to pissing him off. "I'm just really worried. My husband hasn't been home for a month now or sent any word. He was supposed to be with you trying to fix whatever was driving his youki wild but I haven't seen or heard from him and it's making me a little crazy."

_'Husband? Does she mean a mate?'_ he wondered.

"Do you mean you and the hanyou are mated?" This would affect her if so. It would affect a great many things, he lamented.

"We are married. Is that what **you** mean?"

"No. Youkai **mate** with life partners, not bandy words and make hollow promises. Be still."

She opened her mouth to retort but thought better of it when he started to move toward her. Sesshoumaru strode calmly over, closing the distance between them in four long strides. His eyes seemed to be searching hers for something. Kagome found his eyes striking, cold and emotionless, but the predatorial command in them was clear. 'Do not move.' When he was standing directly before her, she saw him flare his nostrils ever so slightly. She held her ground and stared right back.

_'She smells like only herself. Ripe camelias and spring rain… Surprising.'_

_'Inuyoukai…'_ she thought, mentally rolling her eyes. Inuyasha and his obsession with her scent made this behavior tediously normal.

Sesshoumaru was nearly done with his inspection. He raised a clawed index finger and placed it under her chin, tipping her head gently to the side. She kept his gaze until the angle of her head would not allow it. She instead watched his flowing silver hair fall over his shoulder as he leaned. A curtain of silk across the hard planes of his armor. No man should have hair that perfect.

He tipped the miko's head to the side to expose the column of her neck.

_'Perhaps Inuyasha impressed the rules of pack on the human. She is being unusually cooperative.'_

Immediately he knew that was not the case. Inuyasha would be ignorant of all but the basics of inu pack relations. He tested the theory by tilting her head back in the other direction to examine the other side of her throat. He found himself searching for her eyes as her head turned toward him. Blue met citrine for a moment before she looked away and allowed her head to be turned fully. Enough was enough, however.

"Sesshoumaru? What are you doing?"

She was growing apprehensive, heartbeat increasing and her scent took on notes of citrusy yuzu, but she remained impassive and allowed him to examine her. His youki reached out to assess her. Prodding waves of his natural energy at her throat, her heart, her womb. She flinched at the foreign sensation when she felt his energy brushing hers but he was gazing intently at her neck. She merely cocked an eyebrow and waited. He watched her pulse race beneath the pale, fragile skin of her graceful neck-

Suddenly, he released her and stepped away as if burned.

_'They are not mated then. There is no trace of his youki within her.'_

"You are not mated. There is none of the hanyou's youki within you." he shared.

This made his life a little easier. A surviving **mate** would be the responsibility of the Alpha if Inuyasha died. His responsibility. He could claim ignorance of the whelp of course, but since assigning the captain the duty of assessing his half-brother while at home in the Palace, he had as good as claimed him as pack.

"Good? If that's the demon way, Inuyasha must not have known. Is that something we should have done?"

"No. The effect on a miko is unknown. And now, it would be dangerous for you."

"What?" her stomach dropped. "Why would it be dangerous?"

He eyes turned hard then and bored into hers. "Because he might be killed… and you would suffer."

"What? Why?" Her breath was stolen. "By you? By someone else?" Panic was rising in her chest.

"I am retrieving Rin to take her the Western Palace and then I will find him and assess his state of being. A decision will be made when I know more."

Why did he keep divulging his plans to this miko? Those pleading eyes reminded him too much of Rin when she wanted something trivial. He was becoming too accommodating.

"Because of Inuyasha? He's that dangerous? Where is he? What is **happening**, Sesshoumaru? Please? Did you find out anything about what was going on?"

Kagome was stepping closer and closer to him, and he found it made him vaguely self-conscious and uncomfortable. Her desperate stare was stirring something primal and curtained in him, and he was becoming agitated. Sesshoumaru also realized he had failed to correct her lapse of respect for his title several times.

The hour was still early and he would make it back in time to see Rin settled if he spared a few moments to explain the delicate situation. Her hands were wringing together, and he knew it would be a blow to hear but felt it was better to be honest so she could prepare herself. She was a warrior. She deserved the truth.

"Inuyasha is lost to his youki, miko. If he does not recover on his own, he will have to be stopped. But a half-demon overtaken with bloodlust and crazed by energies he cannot control is unlikely to return to normal.

The damage he could do while in this state is severe. He will hunt down and attack any youkai of great power, and with his heightened senses and battle experience, a great many could fall prey. This could become much bigger than a hanyou lost in the woods. The honor of my house and the threat of **war** is at stake if my father's half-blood son begins hunting down daiyoukai lords.

A captain of the Western army was sent to train Inuyasha to control his energy and he returned to the Fortress maimed and near dead. The forest where they were to meet is far away from any other cardinal families but he will not waste time. Now, I must gather Rin and leave."

"No… There was nothing you could do?" she whispered, like a prayer for a different answer.

"No. I… underestimated the situation. I will attend to the hanyou personally this time."

"So, you failed him after you gave us hope…"

Kagome recalled the concerned look on the future Sesshoumaru's face as he requested she arm herself. She was looking down when she spoke but he heard her clearly enough. She had said the last words more to herself but they left him curious.

"I gave no vow of help prior to the hanyou's visit to Niigata. You are mistaken. Now, I **must** go."

His patience was wearing thin. He could not remember ever speaking with at such length with a human. Sesshoumaru turned to enter the house but was stalled again by her request.

"Let me come with you? Just take me to where you last saw him? Niigata, you said?"

"I cannot. Any further delay is an unnecessary risk."

"Unnecessary? I want to help, Sesshoumaru. I can bring him back. I have before!"

That gave him pause. If she could subdue Inuyasha first, perhaps the whole ordeal would be shortened and he could get back to the quiet of patrols and securing the West. No, it would be more hassle than it was worth to bring her along. Dealing with human needs for days on end, or else having to carry two human women across the country, and then finding and dealing with his half-brother… Certainly not. His original plan was sufficient. He would deal with the hanyou alone.

It would be easier to kill them both, of course, but honor demanded that he stay his hand after declaring his quest for his father's sword finished. Killing his half-brother now would be simple murder, not a challenge over birthright. His claws twitched at the idea, though. Either way, the miko was not coming with him to his ancestral home and he was not ferrying her around the countryside with Rin in danger. His patience was nearly gone.

"Then This One suggests you leave Edo and find him, miko!" he reprimanded, anger getting the better of him. This delay had cost him time enough already.

He turned to go into the house to gather Rin and leave the miko to her thoughts. He could smell the building scent of salt as she began to cry silently and the acid tang of vinegar from her growing fear. It was no longer his concern. The list of **his** concerns seemed to be growing day by day and the Lord of the West would not add the tears of a heartbroken priestess.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin jumped up from her spot by the fire and ran to him, elated.

Her bright smile and sunshine-laced scent lessened the heavy weight of the hanyou predicament on his heart just for a moment. He was grateful she was safe and would remain so now. He relayed his reason for visiting, nodded in response to the elder miko's questions and thanked her for caring for Rin, and within minutes was walking back out into the road and preparing to take off with Rin happily padding next to him.

He looked back towards the shrine. No one was out on the road. The younger miko was no longer in sight and he was grateful she had left them alone. The smell of flowers wafted to his nose then and he looked down at Rin in question. She only smiled and held the small bouquet out for him to see. They were objectively beautiful. But wrong for the season, he noted. Sunflowers and iris were summer flowers, some of Rin's favorites, but not available now in the autumn. Curious.

Seeing his curious look and anticipating his train of thought, as his ward was wont to do, she explained.

"Oh, Sesshoumaru-sama, do you like Rin's flowers? Kagome-sama grew them. She is especially good at growing flowers now. We talk about them a lot. She has been teaching Rin a lot of useful things when we walk and do chores together."

So, the miko and his ward were friends, were they? He felt satisfied that Rin had a companion closer to her own age than the old priestess. Especially one that made her happy. This miko was a curiosity. He glanced back down the road towards the shrine briefly, thinking, and then looked down to Rin.

He nodded to indicate her explanation was accepted and held out his arms for her. She smiled widely and smelled of happiness and excitement as she walked toward him and shifted her sack and the flowers to be near him. He lifted Rin into his arms and took off into the sky, headed for the Western Palace.

…

_'Inuyasha was right and now he's out there all alone, a danger to himself and everyone else, according to Sesshoumaru. I have to find him and fix this.' _Kagome thought as she stomped back to her house._ 'We were ridiculous to think Sesshoumaru would help, and why did he send someone else to help Inuyasha instead of doing it himself?'_

So many questions and no answers. She arrived at the house and immediately set to packing the essentials in a sack she had constructed to emulate her old backpack. It was crude but it would last.

It was getting late and as much as she wanted to leave right now, she wouldn't get far tonight and she needed to close up the house and leave Shippou a letter letting him know where she had gone. He had just left for the autumn term and wouldn't be back, according to him, until the peak of winter. She would also need to go see Sango and Miroku to let them know what had happened. Maybe Miroku would have some advice about how to help him, and Sango would have some insight on the "bloodlust" Sesshoumaru mentioned.

She laid down to try to sleep that night but knew it was futile. She was too worried about her husband and their interrupted life together.

_'This is all wrong. Inuyasha… Why did I let you go alone? Why do you always try to face the hard stuff alone?'_

She let herself cry until she fell asleep. Tomorrow, she would need to harden her resolve, and her emotions, and start the journey to set things right.

...

So, they finally meet! Much more to come. I hope everyone is still enjoying this fledgling attempt. :)


	11. Chapter 11 - Do I Wanna Know?

**Author's Note**: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 11 - Do I Wanna Know?**

"Fall back! He's breaking through the lines!" General Asakura shouted from the battlement above the Northern gate. He squinted his middle-aged eyes and stared down the descending, tree-lined road. Focusing down the hill, he saw the wooden outpost tower standing in a thick cloud of dust and a panicked soldier running from side to side aloft to catch any sight of the enemy below.

"He's engaged the whole battalion! They won't last much longer, General!" the soldier shouted back at him from halfway down the hill, the panic etched across his face at the horrors going on below him as he loosed another arrow at the enemy.

The sounds of death echoed up to the palace walls again and again. Screams of agony, desperate battle cries, the ringing of metal on metal, and the snarls and growls of the enemy who gave them no quarter.

If the General could hear the soldier's report, he didn't respond. Instead, he barked more orders to the interior of the keep.

"Archers, at the ready! Mount up, soldiers!" he shouted behind him, inside the formidable stone palace walls. Hand raised in the air, he was waiting for the enemy to appear to strike him down with a last show of force.

The General chanced a glance back over the wall into the courtyard below where the now mounted pike men and the fleet of archers stood awaiting the order to attack. He grimaced as he realized they were losing.

They had had little warning. The messenger had arrived not five hours ago nearly dead from the punishing ride south from Yaita to Utsunomiya castle to warn them. The messenger told them of a demon who was headed this way to attack the General himself. It hadn't been enough time.

Demons were a problem they were unprepared for. During the reign of Naraku and the stirring of all youkai to violence throughout Japan, even humans had been wary of the threat the evil hanyou posed but after he was defeated and rogue youkai were no longer beating down their doors, most of the priests had been discharged and the miko sent back to their villages.

The Asakura family was not defenseless, however, and the soldiers charged with keeping the palace safe had been immediately called up to earn their keep. The few remaining priests had been sent to protect the women and children and get them out of the palace and to safety.

From here, the view down the hill was advantageous but the cloud of dust kicked up by the skirmish had prevented the General from assessing the situation. Suddenly, any sound beyond the gates went quiet and the obscuring cloud of dust began to clear in the blustery autumn wind. The lone soldier atop the tower had hunkered down where he was, unmoving, paralyzed by fear.

Asakura signaled the heavy wooden gates to be opened so the remaining army would have a clear view of the battlefield. The General kept the archers at bay and squinted again down the hill.

A lone figure was walking up toward the keep. The foe arced a blade through the air too fast for human eyes to follow, clearing it of the blood soaking it to the hilt. The wicked grin he sported was out of place against the spattered gore that covered his face, red haori and hakama. Silver hair trailed behind him and was swept sideways in the breeze, unkempt and filthy.

His glowing red eyes were trained on the General himself and it was then Asakura knew** this** was the demon they were warned about. He would leave none alive if the remaining soldiers failed, just as he had at the Kakunodate estate so much further North.

"Hold!" he commanded. He could feel the tension building among the soldiers. Shuffling feet and the rustle of armor was telling him they were anxious. Horses sidestepped and whinnied forcing riders to be firm. They had a right to be nervous. The enemy was not in range yet but he fast and deadly. The demon had already killed over fifty men in the battle at the base of the hill. This attack had to land or else the palace would be breached.

"If we die today, men, we die with honor! Let's take the bastard with us! Utsunomiya!"

"Utsunomiya!" The forceful chorus of answers echoed inside the walls and the soldiers brandished their weapons.

"Archers, fire at will when the enemy shows himself!"

Asakura gritted his teeth, adjusted his armor one final time, and went down to the ground to join the troops and face his death.

…

Sesshoumaru landed lightly in the palace courtyard with Rin fast asleep in his arms sometime in the middle of the night. She was curled against him, head resting high on his chest, and kept warm in the fluffy coils of his pelt as they flew. He glanced down at her and registered her deep, even breathing while assessing her for any signs of chill from the late autumn air. Finding her to be warm and healthy, he began walking from the courtyard to her room in the palace to settle her for the night.

Other youkai were walking about the palace tonight as well. With so many different species living all together, nocturnal and diurnal alike, the palace halls were always occupied. News of his arrival would spread quickly. He could already hear the panicky bustling of servants reassuming their positions throughout the Palace.

Rin had not lived with him here for some time. He found himself curious about how she would feel being here again.

After the defeat of Naraku, the inudaiyoukai had brought her here to live with him with the intent of her staying. His council of cardinal advisors, however, had deemed it unworthy of the Western Lord to harbor an orphaned human and suggested, none too gently, that she be removed to live with her own kind for her safety. Their looks of disdain and suggestive words about his intent for her had angered him. Sesshoumaru was **not** his father and Rin was strictly his ward.

He could still remember Rin's sad, mahogany eyes the day he told her she would be returning to Edo to live with her own kind. He had reminded her that he would visit from time to time but that hadn't stopped sadness from dominating her scent as he took her back. She had tried to remain happy as he turned away from the old priestess' home, plastering a wide smile on her face for his benefit, but he knew otherwise. It could not be helped.

Sesshoumaru had been unwilling to make demands about keeping Rin here before but he had… missed her, if he was honest, and longed to hear her cheerful babbling filling the hallways and dining room once more. Her presence was a spot of sunshine among the gloom of the palace-dwelling youkai bowing and scraping. At the very least, she was safe here from his rampaging brother and his politicians had no reason to send her away. This time he would not allow it.

All of his thoughts on Rin were hidden, of course, to the others around the palace by a well-practiced mask of indifference and superiority. It would not do for his feelings to be discovered. Outside of the council, only his mother and Jaken knew of his care for the girl. The antiquated ex-lords had their suspicions but no confirmation.

Rin shifted in her sleep and murmured something he couldn't decipher, bringing him out his reverie. Sesshoumaru adjusted his hand underneath her to lay her more comfortably against him and raised her head slightly to make her breathing easier, just in case.

As they approached Rin's rooms, he was greeted by a servant standing on the far side of the door.

"Welcome back, Sessshoumaru-sama." She bowed low, wheaten hair brushing the floor, and waited for him to pass by her into Rin's room.

"Hn. Come." He ordered her as he turned into Rin's prepared room, a whisper of silk in the doorway.

"Yes, my Lord?" She straightened and stood just inside the door, dark green eyes watching in the dark room.

"See to it that Rin is cared for and notify me when she wakes. I place her in your charge."

Sesshoumaru spoke quietly as he laid Rin down on the futon that had been prepared. He gently brushed her dark hair away from her face and pulled the quilt up to cover her.

"It is my honor, Sesshoumaru-sama. I will do as you command." Tomomi bowed low again, shocked at the open display of affection by the merciless Lord of the West.

She had heard the stories of his conquests and the odd tale of his adoption of a human orphan but hadn't believed them to be more than the invention of gossipy maids' boredom. She was new and was determined to keep such a sought-after position. She would keep his secret.

Walking silently past the stunned deer youkai, he turned left to enter his own rooms next door. The scents here were comforting and familiar. Old polished wood, parchment and ink, his own unique scent interwoven in all the trappings he thought to keep close.

Carefully unwrapping the silks at his back, he revealed Tessaiga and strode to the wall mounted rack where his own swords were kept when he was not armed. He placed the sheathed fang on the bottom of the rack by way of the silk sash and moved to unequip his own swords.

The display had been his father's. In fact, it had not been moved since Touga's reign. The ornate rack displayed the images of his father's true form in duplicate on each side, and the wood was highly polished, heavy, and made to last. Made for the three swords his father had mastered, it now held Sesshoumaru's own: Bakusaiga, along with two of the three of his father's. It was a conflicting sight to see two of the same swords in his possession under such different circumstances.

Sesshoumaru left his own rooms and turned left towards his study, turning his mind back to the work ahead.

There were surely some answers from the other lords by now about the meeting and a reply from his mother. Kouji was usually very prompt and he remembered his mother had a soft spot for the pheasant. She had a soft spot for most things that were unique and ostentatious, and Kouji was certainly both of those things. It would have helped him get the response he desired more quickly.

The hallways were mostly quiet this time of night, several hours before dawn. As he made for his study, he idly glanced up and down at the paintings which hung on either side of the wide hallway that all held images of his ancestors and their notable deeds. Most were violent and perpetrated against other demon houses.

_'And now it is my job to fix their mistakes and coerce peace out of youkai that have been at war with each other for centuries.'_ he thought, annoyed.

It was the honorable course of action now that his quest for Supreme Conquest was satisfied. He had gained his own sword by right of that conquest, his arm was returned to him, and his reign as Lord of the West was begun. None stood to challenge him. Now for the conquest of the next millennia: the survival of his species and those like him. Daiyoukai were dwindling and he knew it.

Youkai populations were decreasing everywhere. Not that he cared about them all. But the inuyoukai and their allies were among the strongest families still living and he intended to keep it that way.

After the defeat of Naraku, Sesshoumaru theorized that if more daiyoukai had deigned to join in the fight, instead of using the distraction to further their own agendas, it might have been over much sooner. Then he could have returned to his duties at his leisure instead of having to bother both with his mother and the hanyou. But there were very few left, he realized, when he began to count the allies of the West.

The humans were creeping en masse over the land and began to care very little for the youkai they displaced. If the daiyoukai banded together, they could rid the island of the human threat and return to their separate corners of the world. Or perhaps, use the humans to accomplish their own goals of power. That would be decided soon when the council met and it was pointless to postulate until then.

Sesshoumaru breezed into his study in the darkness and glanced over at his desk passively. There were several letters there, all smelling of different youkai. Not caring to open or reply to them right now, he stood still in the darkness and pondered what else could be done.

Turning golden, inhuman eyes to the sky through his study doors, he stepped languidly out of his study and put two booted feet down in the central courtyard once again. Gazing longingly up at the full moon, his blood suddenly longed to be free. It had been too long. His clawed fingertips brushed the hibernating bushes that bordered the yard as he walked past the borders and toward the wide expanse where he had landed only minutes ago.

Suddenly Sesshoumaru was deaf to all other sounds as the moon fully captivated his attention.

Without another thought, he left the thicket of bushes and strode quickly to the center of the green expanse and took off into the sky, youki rising from within him as he ascended.

Amber eyes shifted to a brilliant and glowing vermilion highlighting turquoise pupils that saw everything above and below him for miles. Powerful legs grew and his face elongated into the muzzle of his true form, concealing jagged fangs and dripping with deadly poison. His pelt wrapped around his changing form, merging to become one with him once again, reuniting with the full power of his youki.

He was free. No one else around for miles. He could pad among the clouds and stars and there was no one to bother or stop him. He breathed easy for the first time in weeks in the cold night air. The moment of self-indulgence was rare and he would enjoy it fully.

But there was also no one to share it with.

At times like tonight, he was grateful for the solitude but in the past, he remembered the feeling of longing that accompanied him into the deserted heavens. As a creature driven by familial bonds, he had felt the pull before to join or create a pack worthy of himself but he could never bring himself to do it.

After the war his father started with the dragons in the East over a mate, a** human**, he severed pack ties and decided it would never be worth the trouble. Pack only seemed to breed weakness in inuyoukai, he concluded, contrary to what his true nature was telling him. His instincts had been demanding all the time that he change his mind, settle in his den, and breed pups of his own. He firmly denied himself. At war with his natural urges for the past three hundred years, he had become embittered to the idea of females and family. It was not lost on him that he followed his instincts without question in almost every other way.

Suddenly he was not alone in the deep night. Another had entered the peaceful black expanse over the mountains. He sniffed. Another inudaiyoukai.

_'Mother.'_ He thought her title like a curse. She **would** show up now, at his moment of peaceful solitude and reflection.

He turned his massive head and gracefully tipped back down towards the Fortress to lead her there. If she wanted to talk, it would be away from Rin. Her idle threats to eat the child were old and tiresome, and he did not have the patience for her antagonistic nature tonight. He shifted his form so as not to disturb the whole barracks with their massive forms conversing in inu, hoping she would follow suit. He landed in the center of the training yard, dust rising in wisps around his black boots.

She **did** land in her true from in the yard, gave a loud huff of disappointment, and then shifted to her smaller, humanoid form.

"Mother." he greeted flatly.

"Why, Sesshoumaru, no warm and welcoming greeting for your one and only mother? Pity. Always such a direct and disagreeable pup. You never change." Kikuko fluffed her pelt around her delicate and pale shoulders, tossing frosty twin tails behind her with a graceful arc of her neck as she continued settling her appearance.

"Mother, why have you come?" His tone was growing sharp.

Her eyes sparkled with mischief and she knew he would ask again, but given his gruff greeting, some teasing was in order first. She grinned slyly before continuing.

"Can a mother not visit her only son on the eve of war?"

…

Miroku was deep in thought with one hand at his chin as he sat on the floor of his home, legs crossed beneath him. Sango returned with tea, knowing they were all three about to be deep in conversation.

Kagome had just finished telling them both about her encounter with Sesshoumaru just a few hours ago. They were shocked and concerned, looking immediately at one another to decide how to proceed.

Miroku had confided in Sango about Inuyasha's visit weeks ago. She wasn't surprised really, he had lost himself before, but disappointed for her friends. Mostly for the disruption of the new couple's happy newlywed life. They really did deserve some peaceful happiness but somehow just couldn't find it. Why was Fate being so fickle with those two?

Kagome had stayed to help cook dinner and tell stories to the children before bed, helping to tuck them in. Satomi and Shizuka were enthralled at her tale about a princess cursed by an evil faerie queen into a deep sleep. Yearling Komori was more interested in milk than stories but he was fond of Kagome and eventually reached out to be held by her as well after his hunger was satisfied. She loved the feeling of the little ones snuggles and innocent rapt attention, and suddenly missed Shippou very much.

Stories finished, the children had gone to sleep and the adults could plan.

"And he never mentioned any of this to you before that night, Kagome-chan?" Sango asked, setting everyone's tea down in front of them.

"No. I noticed a few times that he looked like he'd gotten in a fight or he felt like he had a fever, but we would've heard from the farmers if he'd beat up one of their sons and he kept claiming he'd never get sick. I think he was afraid of what we would all think after he'd lost control before. He was afraid of what I would think." She sipped her tea. "And I understand that he was afraid but not why he would be afraid of **me**."

"He was not afraid of **you**, my friend. He was afraid of your perception of him. He is half-youkai and it is easy for us all to forget that now but he is very much alone in that here, no matter that we accept him."

"Don't make excuses for him, Miroku. He should've told me. He should've told **someone** before it got so bad." Kagome sipped her tea again but didn't taste it.

"So now you are determined to go find him?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah, I've got to do something. I can't just sit here and wonder what he's doing, who he might be hurting, or if he's still alive. I'm going nuts just spinning my wheels trying to keep busy." Delicate fingers clenched around the teacup until her fingertips turned white.

"Oh, Kagome, I'm so sorry. We didn't know anything either." Sango tried to be supportive but it just reminded Kagome that her husband had kept his secret from everyone that loved him, not just her.

_'Stupid, stubborn ass!'_ She thought.

It was easier to be mad for now. Anger would fuel her until she could get to him herself. It was past time for action after hearing Sesshoumaru's account. She remembered his words.

_'Inuyasha is lost to his youki, miko.'_

He had said it with no emotion on his face but his words were those of someone with regret. If Sesshoumaru was worried, she sure as hell should be too.

"Do you guys know anything about what's happening to him? Can you fill in any blanks for me? Everything I come up with in my head sounds ridiculous."

She had considered demonic viruses, a curse of some kind, something brought on by her expanding reiki. Each possibility sounded less plausible than the last. Sango was thoughtful for a moment.

"I have encountered only a handful of youkai that were lost to bloodlust, and it was terrifying and tragic at the same time. I'm sorry, Kagome-chan, but you need to prepare yourself. When youkai are rabid and bloodthirsty for days at a time, it's usually because they are either sick and dying, or have lost their sanity. It's the instinctual way they protect themselves, like Inuyasha has in the past.

But for him to have lost himself and come back is strange to me. It should not happen. Once they are ill enough to be taken over, they should not awaken from their bloodlust until they… well, they die. Forgive me, Kagome. That is the part that confuses me most. If you **are** able to get through to him, since he has been out of control for so long, the damage to his body will be severe. Be prepared to heal him extensively."

"Got it." Kagome made a mental note. Sango wasn't trying to be harsh but her taijiya training had kicked in and she was soldiering through even thought her friend was obviously hurting.

"Inuyasha is hanyou." Miroku thought out loud. "He is two halves of very different beings. It sounds to me as if his youki is overpowering his human side."

"But why?"

"That I cannot say."

"But we traveled together for over a year! Why didn't any of this happen back then?" She was floundering for reasoning.

"You said he confessed that he must burn off a certain amount of energy to return to normal, correct? If that was the case, the hunt for Naraku would most likely have kept his demonic half exhausted, constantly using his youki to fight during our journey." Sango explained.

Kagome considered. "And he was sealed to the sacred tree for 50 years before we set out so we have no way to know how he might have reacted back then…" She was talking more to herself than to them but their words were reaching her.

"Are you all right, Kagome?" Sango dipped her head down to peer at her best friend from across the table.

Kagome steeled herself against the fear that was already too far gone. The only thing to do now was find him. And fast.

"I'll be fine. I have to go find him. Tomorrow morning, I'm leaving."

"So, you are setting out alone?" Sango asked, concerned. Kagome wasn't an 'alone' kind of person. She needed people. She thrived when friends were near and she had someone to protect.

"Don't make me feel bad for it, Sango. I have to go and you two definitely can't go with me. I have no idea what I'll even find. If I find him at all. I could be gone for weeks or months. I can't ask you, either of you, to do that. I'll be fine. This is what I've been training for, I think."

She was talking into her tea cup. Kagome couldn't bear to look at the pitying faces of her guilty friends anymore.

_'I'll deal with the idea that future Sesshoumaru **knew** and didn't tell us on purpose later.'_

"I had wondered why the training was so important but keep your secrets, my friend. Very well, Kagome-sama." Miroku set his cup down and turned to leave, brushing the curtain aside and going out into the night. Sango smiled and looked at Kagome.

He returned with a long, awkward cloth-wrapped bundle and a warm smile a few minutes later. Resettling himself down at the table, he pushed the bundle to Kagome.

"If you are leaving, then this is our parting gift to you."

Kagome blinked for a second and then grinned, eyes glistening at their thoughtfulness.

"When did you- But why- _Oh my-_ Thanks, you guys!" She rounded the table to get them both in a bear hug. For a minute, they were all laughing. Kagome tried hard to record the moment in her memory. Sango was the first to pull away.

"Well, open it before you thank us, Kagome-chan. It may not be to your liking." Sango looked doubtful for a moment. Miroku put a gentle hand on his wife's leg to reassure her.

Kagome reached for the cloth and opened it slowly, folding each layer back revealing her gift. When she was done, the table was a display for a beautiful polished quarterstaff and a taut, polished bow. Her breath caught.

"Oh, you guys…"

Kagome reverently lifted the staff from the table. It was heavier than she expected and then she noticed the two metallic ends of the staff. The weapon was a head shorter than Kagome herself but at each end of the staff was a blue steel cap decorated with leaves and small blossoming flowers. The sacred tree. She looked wistfully up at Miroku who was glad to see her appreciate the work.

The center of the shaft was wrapped tightly in black leather and bound with gold cord to make a textured grip. She raised it from the table and tested its weight across both palms.

"It's beautiful. How did you find it?"

"We didn't find it, Kagome. We made it. For you." Sango offered, reddening just a bit. "The bow, too."

Kagome gawked at her friends, eyes shining. Miroku explained.

"Indeed. My talented wife supplied the skill and design, and I was the muscle." He laughed a little then at Sango's giggle at his bravado. "Both made from late summer branches of the sacred tree. They are still plenty pliable but should serve you well for a long time. The staff has a thin steel core, actually, to lend it strength and weight. They were meant to be a gift for the completion of your training, which we were rapidly approaching anyway, but now it would seem you have need of them sooner."

"As long as I live, I will never have better friends than the two of you." Kagome confessed as overwhelmed tears of love and friendship fell down from her chin onto the beautiful gifts she would treasure forever.

The young miko ran around the table again and hugged them both, still silently crying and thanking them for supporting and understanding her.

"Thank you both so much. For everything. I'll send word as soon as I can, I promise."

After that, she told them good night and released them to go home, testing the weight and feel of the staff with some flashy swings and a smile the whole way there. Once Kagome arrived back home, she packed away her things except for those few she would need for a meal tonight, and began packing a few traveling kimonos.

_'I'll just wear the slayer outfit underneath and save myself the trouble. Makes it harder to go to the bathroom but that's the least of my worries…'_

The new bow and staff would stay with her and within easy reach slung onto her back. Her old quiver would be just fine as it was.

_'Wish I had some more time to make arrows before I left but I guess I'll have time on the road.'_

Thinking on that, she packed her knife, arrowheads, and some hawk feathers. She sat back and reminded herself of all the work she and Inuyasha had done to make sure she had tools like this at her disposal.

They had taken a few day trips here and there to find a blacksmith that would sell arrowheads, and had hiked up the mountains to the northwest to hunt down a few suitably large birds for feathers. It had been a ruse, really, for them to get out of town and ravage each other in the woods for the first time in a long time. She remembered the campfire and the smell of cooking meat and the look of Inuyasha's naked form draped over her in the fading light…

At the memory of their not-so-innocent and carefree trips around the countryside, she could feel the burning at her eyes again and squinted hard to keep the tears from coming.

"No, ma'am, we don't have time for that." she chided herself in the lonely house, voice trembling and hands shaking.

Packing and prepping took her late into the night and when she settled down to sleep, exhaustion won out. The meeting with Sesshoumaru, explaining everything to Sango, and all of her daily duties finally came crashing down on her and she was ready to sleep well for the first time in days. Knowing tomorrow, she would be doing something useful was a relief.

She rolled over from her spot on the left side of the large futon and ran the back of her right hand reverently over the empty space where her husband should be. Before she could stop herself, she was rolled all the way over and burying her nose in his welled-out side of the bed, trying to remember exactly what he had smelled like. The forest after a storm and that decidedly male spice she couldn't put a name to.

Blue eyes drifted up to the window over their bed from her position admiring the remnant scent of her love and she noticed the full moon. Maybe he was out there looking at the same moon and remembering their wedding night, too. Maybe.

…

Kagome woke early and packed up to leave. She bundled up all of the perishable food and took it over to Sango and Miroku. With one more round of hugs and a letter left for Shippou, she told them all goodbye and was ready to go. Miroku handed her a few ofuda and some short but neatly planed boards, per her request last night, and hugged her warmly. She turned around a few times to tell them goodbye again before she was too far away.

One more place to stop before leaving Edo. Well, two.

Kagome hefted the pack more comfortably behind her and began to climb the slope up the hill to the Bone Eater's Well.

She sighed as she reached it. The power humming in the depths of the well was comforting. The knowledge that it was open to her should she decide to go home gave her peace. A soft smile came at the thought of being back in her room in her mother's house surrounded by comfortable and familiar things.

The priestess knew the time of life where such things existed for her was drawing to a close. This quest to find her wayward husband was a wake-up call. She was no longer the starry eyed and naïve girl that had arrived from Tokyo so many months ago. Her immaturity had kept the bulk of her past horrors from affecting her too deeply but now she was a grown, married woman. She shuddered to think of some of the things they had all faced together. It seemed like another life.

But no one would be helping her this time around. Throughout her past months of training, she had learned her limits and found confidence. Her abilities were her own and she had finally mastered them. The young priestess knew her own mind and discovered who she was now without Inuyasha. The knowledge was hard-won and while it might have been better and more fulfilling in the short term to have him there to share in her discoveries, she felt like the accomplishment was all the sweeter for having mastered her physical and spiritual selves with only her teachers to witness.

Kagome was on her own to find and help Inuyasha recover and she would be strong enough on her own.

Pulling out the ofuda Miroku had made, it was decision time. If she sealed the well, there was a real fear that it might not work again in the future. Kagome hadn't made a study of it in the time she had been here. Honestly, life had been busy and happy and she hadn't felt the need. If she and Inuyasha were married in modern Tokyo, there wouldn't have been many trips home either. She consoled herself that that absolutely was true and let the guilt skitter away to the back of her mind.

If Inuyasha made it back here in his crazed state, if he went through the well… She already felt responsible for his affliction and her own failure to notice but if he wreaked havoc in modern Tokyo, it would most definitely be her fault. This was the right thing to do.

Laying the backpack aside and removing her weapons, Kagome reached for the boards and laid them neatly and precisely to cover the well. Handling the ofuda, she charged them as she laid them down across the boards, creating a weave of binding seals and wooden planks that would prevent travel from both sides.

When the humming of power beneath the well stopped, she exhaled a small sob and covered the face with her hands. She was protecting the future from her husband. This was all so wrong.

_'It's not even ten in the morning, and I'm crying at the well over Inuyasha again. I'd laugh at how familiar this is if it weren't so screwed up…'_

Wiping the self-pity from her face, Kagome gathered her things and headed back toward town.

…

In Tokyo, a pair of green eyes flashed in the total darkness of the well house on the Higurashi shrine at the tingling sensation of reiki coming from the well. Delicate and tanned hands with blunt fingernails pulled out a cell phone from a dark brown cargo pocket and dialed a number.

"Hey, Pop. Sorry, it just slipped out. Yeah, she's sealing the well. I know, I won't. Mm hmm. Yep, see you back there in a bit."

Shippou ended the call and pocketed the phone again. Running fingers through chopped, rich auburn hair, a sigh escaped him. He scooped up his novel and the leftovers from his takeout breakfast, and took the few steps down to the dirt floor.

He could smell her very faintly if he tried hard enough. Tiny traces of her scent from their last visit. A hand came up to rest on the lip of the well and he jerked it back when tiny sparks of her power leapt up to warn him away.

"I know, Momma, and I'm so sorry. It won't be long now."

Two weeks, maybe three at most, and she'd be back. They could count down the days for the first time in five hundred years. Their reunion would be so bittersweet.

He'd finally have his mother back. His widowed mother.

…

Back in Edo, the morning of her departure…

"Good morning, Kaede-sama! How are you feeling this morning?" Kagome chirped as she stepped into the house, not wanting to worry the elder priestess.

"As well as ever, child. Why do ye ask?" The old miko smiled as she stirred something in a pot over the fire.

"Well, I'm leaving to find Inuyasha. He hasn't been home in weeks and I'm worried. Will you be okay if I leave? Can you handle everything? Miroku has said he'll do as much as he can to help while I'm gone."

"Of course, Kagome. We'll be fine. Take care of yourself, child, and send word as soon as you can. That boy is more apt to get into trouble than a hen in a fox den. Is there anything you need before you go? I'll gather up some herbs for you to take, just in case."

"Thank you, Kaede-sama. Actually, I do have one small request." Kagome asked, stepping out of the way as the old miko started bustling around gathering this and that from shelves and bowls.

"Ne? What is it, my child?"

"Do you still have the kotodama?"

...


	12. Chapter 12 - Black Smoke Rising

**Author's Note: **I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled **MA** per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

**Additional trigger warning for this one:** character suicide. Not overly graphic but there nonetheless.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 12 - Black Smoke Rising**

"What do you mean, mother?" Sesshoumaru's golden eyes narrowed at the demoness.

_'What game is she playing now?'_

"As I said, Sesshoumaru. War on the West is at this moment being planned by the North. Don't tell me my astute and omnipotent son is unaware?" Kikuko pressed a hand to her breast in mock surprise.

"Why?" He was not going to give her the satisfaction of shocking him. He wasn't.

"Because your father's **rabid** indiscretion has killed the heir and half of the palace in his bloodlust."

When her stoic son paled, mouth parted just slightly, and his eyes dilated; she felt a small twinge of guilt but just as much gleeful pride at finally cracking him.

"Explain." His voice was quiet but commanding. She would give him that.

"What is there to explain, my dear? The affected pup has murdered half of the nobility in the Northern palace and disappeared. They believe it was a plot by the West to weaken them after assessing their strength during your visit not three weeks ago. Are they incorrect?" The lilt of her voice made the teasing that much more frustrating. She tilted her head up in challenge.

Sesshoumaru didn't wait to reply to her but sped away to issue orders, see to Rin, and gather his armor and swords as swiftly as he could. This would have to be rectified immediately and personally. The cats would be made to listen or the strained peace he had already accomplished would be for nothing. If they attacked, it could be centuries before ties could be made again. If he was forced to call up allies, they too would become enemies of the North and those relationships would have to be mended. The balance of power would shift and the lands would be unstable yet again. No, this needed to be fixed. Three years of peace was too few.

He ran swiftly to the Fortress to find Ryota. The bear would be sleeping no doubt.

The Western Lord approached Ryota's rooms and noted that the bear was most definitely not sleeping, if the languid moans of pleasure and grunts of effort were any indication. Sesshoumaru knocked anyway. After waiting for a moment with no answer and no indication of the rutting noises slowing or stopping anytime soon, he flared his youki outside the door and shouted. The breach of manners and interruption of mates was rude and usually not tolerated, but situation was dire and haste was needed.

"Ryota!"

Suddenly the room was quiet and the angry growls and stomping of the frustrated bear daiyoukai could be heard through the door.

"**What** in the seven hells could be so **fucking** important that-"

The door was flung open to reveal the pissed off, naked General Ryota, fangs bared and flashing in the moonlight. Sesshoumaru was suddenly assaulted by an overwhelming smell of intimacy. He worked to restrain the grimace that threatened.

"Oh! Sesshoumaru-sama! My most sincere apologies, my Lord." Ryota snapped to attention and calmed his flaring aura.

The bear's deep timbre resonated with more respect as he recognized who had interrupted them. Ryota was full grown and towering in both height and battle prowess. As a seasoned general, he was in charge of the bulk of Sesshoumaru's army, sharing the responsibility only with Sesshoumaru himself in matters of espionage, officer training, and politics.

As a male, he was just as impressive. When not in his true form, his dark chestnut, shoulder-length hair framed a square jaw, a wide mouth and twinkling pale blue eyes. His thick, corded neck lead to wide and muscular shoulders, and the fit General's daily regimen of strenuous exercise kept the rest of him just as brawny. And at the moment, he was stark naked.

Stepping back into the room, Ryota scooped up a sleeping yukata from the floor and came back outside, closing the doors to his rooms behind him. He bowed low to his clearly impatient Lord, still tying the belt of his golden sleeping yukata around his waist and attempting to hide his impressive erection.

"How, um- How can I help you, my Lord?"

"My apologies for… interrupting, Ryota, but the nekoyoukai in the North are declaring war."

That cured the kumadaiyoukai's erection problem.

"What? Why? Didn't you just- Pardon, my Lord, but this is so... **sudden.**" Ryota's large hand came up to pinch the bridge of his nose. The stark contrast between the last minute of his life and this one was making his head spin.

"Indeed. They have been attacked by a rabid inuhanyou and are demanding retribution. Several of the royal family lay dead. I must leave tonight to persuade Katsurou to hear the truth."

Right to the point. Sesshoumaru needed to get this over with. A sensual purr came from the space behind Ryota and the bear flinched.

"Inuhanyou? But does that mean it's-" Ryota questioned but was cut off by the sensual drawling of his own name.

"Ryooota, come back to bed! Who on earth would be- Ah! Sesshoumaru-sama, good evening." came a bright, lilting voice.

The doors to the bear's quarters was flung wide revealing a very naked pheasant daiyoukai, bracing himself openly in the doorway. Kouji greeted the Lord respectfully from over his mate's shoulder with nothing on but a grin and an air of mischief. If the dog was going to ruin his night, he could have a little fun.

_'Poor, frustrated pup.'_ Kouji thought, maintaining his knowing smirk._ 'All work and no play.'_

"We would be more presentable, Sesshoumaru-sama, had we but known we'd be honored with a visit so deep in the night." Kouji leaned over and kissed the shell of Ryota's ear affectionately. Ryota growled a warning.

"Enough, Kouji. This is serious." he scolded over his shoulder.

"One would hope since our Lord felt the need to interrupt two recently reunited mates… Very well, but don't be too long, my love." He waved a dismissive hand and retreated back to the room.

"Apologies again, Sesshoumaru-sama. Kouji only returned from your mission this evening."

_'Mates are a most peculiar dynamic…'_ the young Lord reflected.

"It is of no consequence. Again, I am leaving tonight to assure the nekoyoukai that justice is forthcoming and stall the declaration of war. I leave the West in your charge until I return."

Ryota expected that the conversation was headed that way.

"Of course, my Lord. To the undying West." Ryota pounded a fist over his heart as he declared his commitment to keeping the West safe.

Sesshoumaru nodded, satisfied Ryota would adequately defend the Palace and Fortress in his absence.

Not wanting to linger in the doorway of two amorous mates any longer than necessary, he launched himself across the grounds of the Fortress, making his way along the extensive and dark halls through the mountainside to the Palace. Reaching his own rooms in seconds, he penned a quick letter to Rin first. She would be sad he was gone already but his ward was also dutiful and would obey his instructions to stay out of sight and obey the servant she was assigned.

Cloaking himself in his silks and armor, he paused when reaching his swords. Bakusaiga was a given but the other two… Tessaiga was the hanyou's and it might help to seal his youki again. Sesshoumaru was unsure of the effect it would have on Inuyasha now. Tenseiga, however… Should the hanyou fall, would it be prudent to revive him knowing this whole situation could repeat itself in a matter of months? For the rest of his natural life? No, Tenseiga would remain here.

Swiftly walking down the hall to Rin's rooms where the servant was standing at attention outside her door. The timid deer youkai instantly smelled of fear and apprehension as she felt his arrival. He expected no less.

"Give this to Rin when she wakes. Remain with her until my return." He held out the letter.

Tomomi bowed low and received the letter. "As you command, my Lord."

Assignments given and Rin accounted for, he could finally leave and take care of two pressing problems on his long list.

He considered idly that if he hadn't returned home with Rin first, in lieu of tracking Inuyasha down, maybe this situation could have been avoided. So rarely did Sesshoumaru allow himself the pleasures of doing what he **wanted** over what was needed but seeing Rin safe had been his priority.

And how had his half-brother managed to break into the Northern castle with nocturnal cats on the prowl? He pondered as he flew from the Palace and made his way north.

As the great inuyoukai sailed through the night, the smell of death and grief grew thick as he approached the Northern castle. Sesshoumaru knew this would begin with posturing and confrontation but hopefully it wouldn't end in more blood. Recalling all he knew about the tigers, he hoped this would not end in war.

…

Earlier that same morning…

Kagome tried to steel her stomach as the kind villager lead her up to the castle but she was losing the battle. Just as all these men had lost only days ago.

The stench of the rotting remains was overwhelming, as was the sheer number of soldiers she was told had died here. The ground was dyed a deep, rusted brown in a wide circle for many yards both up and down the hill. The entire width of the road was darkened with the shed blood of men who had fallen to the demon, they said. The bodies had been cleared and buried with honor, but the bits of gore that remained were being picked apart by the carrion eaters and rotting in the sun.

She couldn't be sure it was Inuyasha without talking to the one survivor from the massacre and he was apparently catatonic but being cared for in the palace. She hoped she was wrong. She hoped her hanyou hadn't done this but the accounts of the red streak that had infiltrated the castle left her with dread. If she could get through to the one soldier that was left, Kagome would get the truth.

"Tell me again, Kagemori-san, who are we going to meet? What was her name? I apologize, I have forgotten." She adopted the high-born manner of speaking in unfamiliar towns to avoid raised suspicions. For today, she was just a miko hunting a rogue demon and no one would question her for it.

"The widow of Lord Utsunomiya, the Lady Yosome. She has taken over ruling here at the castle since the Lord was killed three days ago and the Lady has been very busy but would be grateful of your assistance, Lady Miko."

She suspected there were a great many things she could do to help organize the people left behind by the violence, and she would have stopped and stayed for days if the quest had allowed, but this was her husband's life and time apparently wasn't on her side.

They reached the castle gates and Kagome was shocked at the lack of damage to the stone work. This castle was heavily fortified. River stone walls four feet deep and fifteen feet high, all cemented together and saddled with wooden watch towers at regular intervals as far to the left and right as she could see. It was a fortress and it had fallen in a single afternoon to the demon attacker with almost no damage to the structure. This was not a random attack and not perpetrated for the conquest of the castle itself. The attacker wanted only the lives of the people guarding it.

Her eyes found a curious fixture over the frame of the gate.

"Why is a sword buried in the stone over the gate?" It was clean and intact, but stuck out from the stone at an odd angle and was obviously a sword of high quality.

"Oh." Kagemori's face fell. "That was where they found the General. He had been… forgive me, Miko-sama, **impaled** and left there for all to see. By his own sword, no less. Most dishonorable of the demon. What was strangest was that the General was missing his left arm but we couldn't locate it anywhere to inter it with him. The demon must have eaten it as proof of his victory…"

Kagome sighed at the supposition about demons. She had encountered so many odd theories about why demons did what they did. After living with them for years, the answer was usually a very simple one: instinct. Most of their "odd" impulses and idiosyncrasies stemmed from basic needs. Humans seemed to have forgotten to obey those urges most of the time, or that they exist at all.

Suddenly, she was grateful that Inuyasha had taken the time to explain what little he knew of inuyoukai instincts to her after they were married. So many things he had done made more sense afterwards. His commitment to her was obvious, even during their quest, once he had explained how his instincts demanded he care for his adopted family. Sleeping together, constantly touching, hunting for her and taking her places she wanted to go… He had said it was the most normal he ever felt, until their marriage, and it was a soul-righting relief to finally have a pack. A casual conversation that resulted in them understanding each other so much better. It was a good memory. One of the ones she'd hold on to forever.

Then Kagome felt a needling recognition somewhere in the back of her mind about why the left arm in particular might be missing… But just as she almost grasped the answer, Kagemori interrupted with more to say about the execution of the General.

"But anyway, they had to cut him down to bury him because that sword is buried too deep to be moved. I'm sure they'll saw it off eventually but steel like that is hard to come by so the family would rather recover the sword if they can."

"I am sure."

_'Inuyasha would have had the strength to do that even without transforming, I know. Most demons would, actually, so that doesn't help me.'_

"Ah, here we are. Souma-kun, open the gate!"

A young man in armor that seemed a bit too big for him peered over the railing of the gate tower with a mortified look on his face.

"Father, please! I am a soldier of the castle now!" the young man hissed down, huffing indignantly.

"Apologies, _**Souma-san**_, but may the Lady Miko and I please enter the castle? She is expected." The old man bowed to the young soldier but was clearly mocking his new authority.

Kagome giggled lightly behind Kagemori.

_'At least some relationships never change. What parent wouldn't give the kid a hard time? He's basically asking for it.'_

"Souma has only recently been recruited to work at the castle, Miko-sama. He was too young before the attacks but now…" Kagemori hung his head remembering all those young men and experienced soldiers falling prey to that maniacal demon. "The only good thing to come of this tragedy is that young men that were passed up for service now have a chance at better lives."

She could tell her elderly guide was trying hard to find a positive reason for the carnage. His was feeble, but in times of crisis, it could be a comfort to latch on to one good thing and hold it tight. Kagome was afraid she was doing the same thing interviewing the young survivor but the alternative was to admit that her husband was a crazed mass murderer. She'd take the fragile hope.

The overly proud, young Kagemori signaled for the gate to be opened and Kagome was allowed inside after surrendering her bow, quiver, and staff. The soldiers looked tired but nervous all the same and many lined the pathways of the greater halls. The family would never be the same again.

Finally, the pair made it to the reception room and as the doors slid open, the woman upon the dais straightened herself and waited for the pair to approach. The conversation was a straightforward one. Kagome learned that all of the soldiers who had been here had died. All of them. Except the one that was holed up in a room here inside the palace. His name was Yorisue and he was one of the younger soldiers, assigned guard tower duty because of his poor fighting skills. He had been stationed in the lookout tower down the hill and was silenced by fear during the attack.

He was young and he was scared. Kagome wasn't sure she could bring him around but she would sure try. This young man would be haunted by this event all his life unless she could help him. Afflictions of the mind wouldn't become a true science for many hundreds of years, and Yorisue would be labeled a coward and cast out. She had to try for the both of them.

She thanked Kagemori sincerely for his help, and he was escorted away from the dais and back down the hallway. A new face appeared to guide her to the young soldier's room. The palace was a beautiful place. The hallways were wide and airy, sunlight pouring in from wide porches and open doors, and the many rooms that lined the family wing were in use. Lots of wives and children making noise and bustling about. She smiled as she heard praises and scolding both in chorus around her. The patter of so many feet on the tatami floors was comforting. It had been a while since the familiar sound settled in her ears.

_'Momma, Souta, Jii-chan… I hope you're all well.'_ She sent a small prayer for her family to the kami.

As they left the family wing and went deeper into the palace, she noticed there were gardens scattered here and there in gaps between buildings. Ponds occupied sunny lawns and well-worn stepping stones in arcing paths made for hopping games under little feet. Trees and bushes dotted the landscape bearing the last few leaves of the year that were still hanging on in the gentle autumn breeze. It was a beautiful place, full of life. She hoped one day to see her own children playing with as much joy and peace, surrounded by family and love.

Finally, the servant stopped and stepped to the side letting Kagome know that they had reached Yorisue's room. She nodded her head and knocked on the door lightly, not wanting to alarm him.

"Yorisue-san? My name is Kagome and I'm a miko sent here to speak with you. May I please come in?" Nervous eyes glanced at the servant to her right who was also waiting. They both shrugged when there was no answer. The miko tried again.

"Yorisue-san? May I come in? I only want to talk."

When there was no answer again, she held up a finger to silence the servant then curled her fingers in and pried the door open only an inch to see where he was. He might be asleep or indisposed and she didn't want to alarm him any further.

"Yorisue-san? Are you there?"

But he was not visible through her tiny crack in the door so she opened it fully but quietly. Then she saw him.

"No, oh no…" Her hands came up to her mouth in shock.

Yorisue was there at the end of the room, red faced and still, hanging from the rafters from a rope made of his shredded quilt.

"Quick! Help me get him down!" Kagome yelled at the servant.

Kagome directed the young woman to lift the body so she could free him from the rope but when Yorisue's body came free, they both tumbled backwards onto the floor. The young woman shoved the body from her person, screamed, and fled the room but Kagome was too busy assessing Yorisue to notice.

"Damn!" she cursed, slamming an open palm on the floor.

He was already long gone. His eyes were wide open in fear and shock, bloodshot from the suicide. His face paled as Kagome settled him on his back, saying a prayer for the young man she never got to speak to. It was a horrible way to die and she knew he hadn't been prepared. He was not much younger than she but had lost his life needlessly, just like all of the other soldiers that day. She would see to his burial before moving on. Her eyes scanned the room for any clues and landed on a scrap of paper lying on the low table near the door.

_'He left a note…'_

She walked over the to the table and stared down at it for a moment, unsure. Feeling guilty for reading the words of a dead man she never really met, but knowing this might the only clue she would find here, Kagome picked up the letter and read.

_'Mother and Father,_

_I am sorry I will never return home to give you this letter. You made such sacrifices for me to leave the village and I am wasting your efforts in ending my life._

_The nightmares will not stop. I see the devil even with my waking eyes. Such hatred and evil should not be here on earth._

_I can no longer breathe without fear of smelling death. Cannot eat without retching seeing my dead comrades strewn across the floor. I cannot open my eyes without seeing the silver demon and his blood red clothes sprinting toward me, his yellow gaze freezing the heart in my chest._

_I am better off dead. I am useless. A burden to everyone. I will never pick up a sword again and I cannot return home with my shame._

_Goodbye, and may peace find you._

_Yorisue'_

The truth hit Kagome full force.

It was Inuyasha.

Who else could it be? She could deny it no longer. She fell to her knees there in the doorway, dropping the letter and covering her face with her hands. Dark, wavy hair fell forward to surround her shoulders and shield her face as Kagome's posture drooped in defeat. Unbidden sobs welled up from the depths of her despair and she could not find the will to stop them. She was sobbing aloud in the castle of a noble family, in the room with a dead man, but she didn't care.

Fate was cruel. They had endured so much. Passed so many tests. Found each other over and over again only to lose each other to what? Madness? Bloodlust? She didn't even have a name for what the love of her life was suffering from. Kagome had no idea how to help him. Days ago, she had been so happy at her accomplishments now it all felt ridiculous. She hadn't learned anything that mattered. She couldn't help anyone. What was the point?

_'No.'_ came a voice in her head. _'That's not true. You are strong. Do not give up. Find him and see. Reserve judgement until you face the truth.'_

She knew the little voice of her conscience was right. Wallowing in self-pity wasn't going to bring him back. Reversing the damage would. She still needed to find him and try. Try anything and everything. The time for giving up was far away.

She willed herself to stand. She dried red and swollen eyes with her sleeves. She pulled out the golden ribbon Inuyasha had gifted her not long ago and braided her hair to get it out of the way.

_'Time to get back to work.'_

…

"So you've returned to finish the job after sending your mad whelp to slaughter us in our home?!"

"Katsurou, calm yourself! This Sesshoumaru will explain!" the Western Lord shouted through the gates of the Northern palace.

This was not going well. The toradaiyoukai was enraged and broken, and Sesshoumaru would not incite his anger further. He shielded his aura to prevent misunderstanding and stood alone in the hopes of tempting Lord Katsurou, ruler of the North, to speak with him.

"You come back now to cover your tracks, dog! Nothing more! Leave This Katsurou's presence at once or I will end your line here and now!"

Katsurou was older than Sesshoumaru by more than a few centuries and an experienced warrior. He was seated for the moment on an obsidian throne in the outer courtyard, visible through the open front gates, but his relations were gathering closer, growling warnings and keeping their Lord shielded from a direct attack. The tiger looked exhausted and half-crazed, breathing hard as he shouted across the hilltop.

His waist-length black hair was tangled and fell across his face in wispy clumps. Harsh golden eyes hollowed by sadness were cut into narrow blades in accusation, framing the vertically slit pupils of his race. The black stripes cut across each of the tiger's impossibly high, tanned cheekbones and were growing more jagged by the second. Sesshoumaru could sense the dam of the tiger's youki about to break. He knew this was always going to end in blood.

"Silence! Your grief speaks **for** you, Katsurou. Calm your anger and listen! See reason and hear what This One has to say!"

"This is no time for talk! I will have my vengeance, you traitorous, cowardly **dog**!"

Katsurou leapt from behind his soldiers and kin into the air over the gates of his castle and exploded into his true form through a bilious cloud of bright yellow youki. The golden tiger that emerged was massive, snarling, and poised for attack the instant his huge paws touched the ground, shoulders gathered to pounce. Jagged black markings ringed the body of the great cat from head to tail. Pupils of deep maroon, the color of blood, were set in ebony eyes narrowed to focus on the young inu before him. The tiger was fearsome and he was grieving, which made him all the more dangerous.

"So be it."

With an echoing howl intended to pause the tiger's advance, Sesshoumaru rose to meet him in a snarling swirl of his own youki. The white of the great dog's fur stood out against the dark green evergreens and black rock of the mountains beneath them. The silver inu was only slightly smaller than the toradaiyoukai but was just as determined to defeat his enemy. If he could subdue Katsurou, the cat would be forced to listen to reason in his weakened state and then perhaps, war could still be avoided. The tiger was older and wiser though. Battle-hardened and a leader of the vicious cats for a reason. This would be a difficult fight.

A snarl was the only warning Sesshoumaru had before the great cat was upon him, a giant paw swiping for his head to knock him off balance. Sesshoumaru charged instead, ramming his head into the cat's chest and forcing him back. Too soon, Katsurou recovered from the blow and dug his front claws into the meat of Sesshoumaru's shoulders on both sides, grappling him for leverage as he angled his head to sink saber toothed jaws into Sesshoumaru's neck. Instead, the great dog dipped and then lifted his great head, tossing the lighter daiyoukai cat behind him but shredding the white fur and flesh along his sides. The tiger landed easily on his feet and the dance began again.

Whirling around to face his opponent, Sesshoumaru roared a misted cloud of poison gas to sit between Katsurou and himself. Either it would halt the cat's attack or weaken him further as he inhaled it. Instead Katsurou growled low and electricity began to gather along his fur, arcing bolts of white lightning mirroring his stripes all along his body. With a snarl, he released the deadly energy, sending it tearing across the ground and incinerating the poison in the air. As the mist dissipated, Sesshoumaru narrowly avoided the snapping jaws of the tiger as it bolted through the wall of crackling energy directly at him. Side-stepping Katsurou, he turned and closed his own growling maw down on the rear leg of the charging tiger as it attempted to skid to a stop. It would be over soon now. The toxins in his saliva would slowly weaken the tiger until the antidote was given.

For hours they battled on the hilltops of the Northern castle lands, shaking the ground and trampling the forest. Titans, both, with everything to lose. Finally, the tide began to turn. Katsurou was light and quick, and struck hard, but Sesshoumaru was grounded, heavier, and had greater stamina. The tiger was beginning to tire and the great dog's poison was doing its work. Sesshoumaru was bleeding heavily from the gashes on his shoulders, and a new tear to his belly from Katsurou's rear claws as the dog had pinned him, but he would recover quickly once the fight was over. Sesshoumaru had done his best not to bleed the tiger too much. Every strike was evidence that Sesshoumaru meant him no real harm.

Finally, Katsurou collapsed and shifted forms, no longer able to produce the youki required to maintain his massive true form. Sweat covered his tanned brow and his breathing was coming in short, pained gasps between his howls of pain and sadness. Sesshoumaru was to him in an instant, ready to show his goodwill. Producing a vial, he uncorked it for Katsurou to drink and kneeled down over the tiger's prone body.

"Katsurou." No response. The daiyoukai continued the thrash and wail.

"**Katsurou!**" Sesshoumaru slapped him.

Wide, dark eyes finally recognized the enemy through his bloodlust.

"Drink or you will die."

"But… why? You… have won. Kill me, pup… and be done with it."

"I have never intended to kill you, Katsurou. Drink and we will speak. Do not, and you will die. It is your choice."

The internal conflict on the tiger's face was easy for Sesshoumaru to see. He could leave this pain behind and join his heir and half of his closest kin in death. His son. His first boy. Akio. Sesshoumaru was offering him death as a kindness, or life in good faith. Truly, the dog had not wished him dead then. Suddenly, his family was upon him, assessing him, crying for him.

"Mate!"

"Father!"

"Cousin!"

"My Lord!"

There was yet more to live for. With a grim smile, Katsurou took the vial and drained it, falling deep into sleep.

…

When Katsurou woke from his feverish sleep, he immediately requested Sesshoumaru's presence. A servant found Sesshoumaru outside the gates, propped casually against a tree in the shade of the late afternoon, his eyes closed. He heard the timid cat approach but made no move.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, Katsurou-sama requests your presence in his chambers. I shall lead you there."

"Hm."

Sesshoumaru rose heavily from his place on the ground and pondered how to proceed after their battle. The situation was unusual. Daiyoukai had drawn blood on familial lands. Nearly immortal memories make for long grudges. Then again, cats were strange. He was… unsure. The feeling was an unwelcome one.

As the servant led Sesshoumaru through the palace, he noticed the gaping hole in the central family wing. A large section of the building had been torn to shreds making the morning sky and surrounding mountains visible through the hallway. Only splintered wood and the odd recognizable vestige of furniture could be picked out in the towering pile of debris. The scent of death still clung to the remains of the rooms.

_'The site of the attack, no doubt. The blood must have driven him mad.'_ Sesshoumaru postulated.

Through the smell of the deceased, Sesshoumaru could also pick out the scent of the hanyou. This would seal his fate. There would be no talking the council down from demanding Inuyasha's head, he knew. Not only would they be eager to see him out of the way and discounted as a potential heir, but to murder an heir to the North in cold blood in his own home was unforgivable.

"Katsurou." He greeted. "Are you recovering well?" Sesshoumaru asked as he stepped into Katsurou's private rooms.

"In time. Sit, Sesshoumaru. Let us have that talk you earned." Katsurou managed.

His voice was weak and strained but he sat up when a beautiful leopard daiyoukai of fair coloring and stunning pale green eyes entered the room. Her pale blonde hair was almost white and fell in wide ringlets around her shoulders. Her skin and hair were a stark contrast to the deep purple of the leopard spots that graced her forehead and cheekbones, alerting Sesshoumaru to her heritage. Full hips and small breasts covered in only a thin robe of black silk made for a striking and unique appearance. The female daiyoukai glared at Sesshoumaru and growled deep in her throat as she entered but moved around behind the sitting tiger to sit on her own feet, patting her thighs in a familiar way. Katsurou immediately leaned back into her and breathed deeply, relaxing at her gentle touch and nestling his head farther into her lap.

"Haruna, my love, Sesshoumaru was just about to explain the situation to us. Please do stop growling at him and give the pup a chance." The toradaiyoukai reached up to cup Haruna's pale cheek and winked at her from his place in her lap.

"Hn." was her only reply before looking back at her mate with worried and sorrowful eyes.

It made Sesshoumaru uncomfortable that they were stroking each other so intimately in his presence but given the events of the day, he said nothing.

And so, the conversation began. Sesshoumaru offered everything he knew about Inuyasha at the moment: about the attack on Ren and his investigation, about his supposition that the hanyou had inherited Touga's ability, his retrieval of Tessaiga and the plan to reunite it with his crazed half-brother before the council met so the pup could answer for his actions. Katsurou accepted Sesshoumaru's plan for the moment with thinly veiled skepticism and made the conversation surprisingly easy once the Western Lord tactfully asked about how the castle was so easily breached.

"How did the hanyou force his way into your den, Katsurou? I have no doubt you could have killed him. Did he conceal himself?" Sesshoumaru was trying to be diplomatic but he was also gathering information. The whelp was an unknown now and the more he knew, the better.

"I was away in conference with the humans farther south, attempting to solidify alliances as we agreed upon, when the messenger came to tell me what had happened. What was I to think?" the cat rasped from his oversized futon. He went on to tell how he had returned to carnage beyond his imaginings. Only the mature adults had been targeted. They were relieved not to be burying cubs.

"This Sesshoumaru understands your anger and offers his condolences in your grief."

"Grief does not begin to explain this sadness, Sesshoumaru. You do not have children of your own but one day, perhaps, you will. They are a gift beyond understanding from the first moments their cries fill your ears. I hope you never understand the loss of a child as keenly. Akio was a brave boy. Ah no, brave man. Forgive me. Cubs never grow up in their parent's eyes. He was fierce. He should not have been torn to pieces in his own home as he was. We could not find one of his arms to make him whole again before sending him home to his ancestors. His mate was almost lost to her own despair but stilled by the crying of their youngest cubs."

Haruna let her tears fall on her mate's pensive face and he reached up from his place in her lap to tenderly wipe them away.

"I have not had time for a mate or pups, Katsurou, but I take your council on the matter." Sesshoumaru had no intention of acting on this advice but he would consider it. Eventually.

"Do that. I waited centuries too long in my quest for revenge on your father, you know. Learn from my mistakes and do not waste more time in that way."

Sesshoumaru then thought briefly about the idea of mates and pups but dismissed the lecture as the whimsy of a grieving, injured mate and father. Surely it was not so life-altering as all that. Mates were procured for the purpose of siring pups and continuing a strong line. Nothing more. If his accounts of mates and their affection for one another these last few days was any indication, he had no desire to be so ruled by another. Katsurou pulled him from his reflection.

"You have some fight in you, dog, I'll give you that. You are cunning in battle. Perhaps, there is some cat in your line." Katsurou gave a pained smirk at the suggestion. The pup was proud and it would strike a nerve.

"Hn. I think not. You accept my explanation then?" Sesshoumaru queried, eager to end this conversation and hunt the hanyou down.

"I do. Though it is nearly unbelievable that your father passed his skill to his half-blood cub. Hanyou can inherit daiyoukai abilities? My view of the world is changed."

"Agreed. This information will be made available when the council meets. I ask only that you keep it to yourself for the moment. We will meet next week to discuss the whelp's sentence."

Tea was brought by a nude, female youkai servant, also a cat of some kind if the ears and tail were any indication. She hummed merrily as she set the service down on the table beside Sesshoumaru, gave no notice of the others in the room, and then left through the garden door. Sesshoumaru stifled a growl at the obvious disrespect but this was not his home and the cats were notoriously distracted. If the behavior was odd to the Lord and Lady, they made no protest but continued the conversation.

Sesshoumaru sniffed lightly at the "tea" and determined it was no such thing. Katsurou continued but jerked his head toward the tray and looked at Haruna. She rose carefully from beneath him and poured a steaming cup, ignoring the dog inches away from her. Handing the cup to her mate and settling beneath him again, he drained it and continued, his voice much stronger now.

"Much better. Do not misunderstand me. Blood payment must be made, Sesshoumaru. I do not hold you and your kin accountable but the rogue must be dealt with. He has wronged my streak and I will enact my vengeance upon him, Western heir or no."

_'As is his right. The hanyou has brought this on himself and I cannot interfere should it come to that.'_ The inudaiyoukai nodded.

"We cannot know that he will ever recover. His affliction may be permanent, in which case, I cannot guarantee his survival for your punishment. I will think on a way to allow you your vengeance should that happen."

When Haruna huffed her impatience at the length of the conversation, untied her kimono, and climbed over Katsurou to lay flush to his body, grinding herself against him in demand, Sesshoumaru had all he could take.

_'Do all mated pairs lose their minds to lust? Disgusting.'_

"I take my leave, Katsurou. We will meet again in the West in one week to discuss." He averted his eyes from the pair and glanced at the blessed escape of the open door.

"You could just stay like a good dog and join us." The tiger winked, obviously strengthened by whatever the steaming brew had been, and Sesshoumaru scowled.

"Haruna, my love, have you ever made love to an inu?" he purred playfully.

She growled her answer, and Katsurou gasped and chuckled when she bit him in reprimand, but did not remove her mouth from his neck.

"Alas, my love wishes not to share. Until next time, Sesshoumaru. Ouch! Haruna dearest, I **am** still recovering…"

Sesshoumaru disappeared in a flash and left the pair to themselves. Katsurou sensed the boy flying away as far and fast as he could. He was looking out the window for the retreating form of Sesshoumaru and regretting letting the flustered dog off so easily. In the old days, Katsurou might not have let his grief and rage get the better of him but he had no real desire to kill the pup. Sesshoumaru was honorable and young and to rob him of life now, as the hanyou had his son, would be a shame.

"One day, my dearest, that dog will discover what he is missing and gods help that poor female…"

"Mmm, my tiger. It is no wonder the boy is so uptight. Prudish dogs make for bad bedfellows. Now, stop talking and come get This Haruna, mate."

She slithered away and crawled across the room, tossing golden curls to the side to beckon him with her bright verdant eyes, and swaying her hips for him in her playful retreat. Katsurou's eyes flashed with desire and he forgot his illness as he covered her from behind, nipping and licking her neck as he caged her.

"As you wish, my Lady."

…


	13. Chapter 13 - Blow Up the Outside World

**Author's Note**: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 13 - Blow Up the Outside World**

A week after the confrontation in the North…

The day was young when the first emissaries and diplomats began to arrive near the Western Palace. Each of the four cardinal Lords was required to attend this annual meeting to discuss changes in needs and alliances over the last year. They would celebrate births and mourn the passing of the old and defeated. It was a political gathering first and foremost, but also a gathering of those alike in spirit. A daiyoukai among thousands of humans was still set apart by their very nature. Daiyoukai among others of their kind could be themselves.

The West had been the gathering's designated location for over four hundred years. More central than either the North or South, and less divisive and domineering than the dragon-dominated East, the silver inu were hospitable and welcoming compared to so many of their comparable daiyoukai Lords. The site that the Inu no Taisho had chosen to build his den made others that much more excited to be here.

The Western Fortress and Palace had been constructed into the very faces of a high mountain. 'Far away and nearer to the sky,' Touga had said. Sesshoumaru remembered his father carving much of the land himself using brute strength and powerful swords to carve deeply into the mountainside, forging new tunnels and pathways throughout the body of the mountain itself. Wise for both protection and escape.

The cozy and decadent Palace, where the meetings would be held, faced north so the family rooms on the eastern side would see bright sunlight in the morning, the central gardens and courtyards during midday, and the fading light of evening could be seen through the windows of the meeting halls and dining rooms on the western face.

The rough and unembellished Fortress sat on the Southern half of the mountain, laid out in a mirror image to the Palace. Soldier's barracks saw the first of the morning light each day; the central training grounds, forges, and common areas were lit well during the bulk of the day; and the arena saw the last of the daylight on the edge of the western cliff face.

Both Palace and Fortress were stacked three tiers high, with common rooms nearer the lowest floor, and rising in rank and importance to the highest. It was a wonder to behold and the dignitaries lucky enough to be chosen every year never failed to complement its ingenuity.

At the main entrance to the Palace stood two imposing, dark stone columns, both two stories high and decorated with polished white marble visages of sprinting inuyoukai in their true forms with noses pointed skyward and fangs bared. The effect was dazzling but also intended to remind visitors of the true nature of the youkai whose den they were entering.

Ryota was up to his ears in nobles and politicians, and the full battle regalia he was wearing felt tighter and more constricting than he remembered. The rusty red leather that coated the majority of his darkened steel armor stood out against the white and pale stone of the exterior of the palace. The large pale crescent moon emblazoned on the chest plate was polished and gleaming. The heavy armor trailed down the bear, giving him a much broader appearance, finishing at his dark brown boots. Ryota was cradling his helmet under one arm and shifting his weight back and forth. He pulled and tugged at every piece he could get his hands on. This armor was only ever for show. No one in their right mind would wear this much into battle with youkai.

_'Sesshoumaru owes me for this one…'_ he grumbled internally.

"Stop fussing, Ryota. They will notice your unease." Kouji reminded him, gently touching his arm. Though he straightened his own pale gold robes and tapped the toes of crimson slippers against the stone walkway beneath them. He preferred less restrictive clothing than his battle-hardened Mate.

"I know. Sesshoumaru-sama will return soon, I hope, and then we won't have to deal with them alone."

"Oh, we won't be dealing with them alone anyway, my love. Ahem."

Kouji jerked his chin to bring notice to the hallway behind them as the former Western Lady approached at a leisurely pace positively dripping with opulence. A jewel tones of her many layered kimonos stood out even more against the plain stone floor. Her raised chin and following gaggle of ladies' maids was proper for one of her status and yet the inudaiyoukai managed to make the procession look… excessive.

"She can make an entrance, that's for sure." Ryota said under his breath.

When golden eyes locked with his from the Palace steps, Ryota was certain she heard him but made no other move to reprimand him. She made her way leisurely down the steps and took her place beside him underneath the great columns.

"Hello, General Ryota." she greeted him sweetly. "Pleasant morning, is it not?"

"Indeed, my Lady. Have you any last-minute instructions? And have you heard from Sesshoumaru-sama?" That was the **real** question.

"None, and I have not. It seems the pup has more on his mind than greeting the entirety of youkai nobility from the other three cardinal lands. Though what could be more important, I cannot guess." Kikuko sighed. "It would not surprise me to learn he has found some puzzle and followed his damnable curiosity to solve it."

Ryota snorted. "That sounds about right!" Thinking better of it, he cleared his throat and backpedaled. "Forgive me, Kikuko-sama."

"Nothing to forgive, my dear. And hello, Kouji! Does this morning find you well?" Her smile brightened at the pheasant's gratuitous and strange bow.

"Most well, my Lady. I am pleased you have remained in our presence. Far too few beautiful females grace the Palace these days. It is a den of masculinity." Kouji offered, with a wrinkle in his nose.

She laughed daintily behind her hand. "I was under the impression you did not mind such a state, Kouji, dear."

"Alas, it frequently smells and sounds like a den of males as well. I find females do not offend in the same way." he said with a smirk and a toss of glittering emerald hair. "And they are exceedingly pleasant to look at, Kikuko-sama." He winked to punctuate the compliment.

"Must you always speak your mind, Mate?" Ryota rubbed his temples. It was going to be a long day.

"Chins up, gentlemen. Ah! Katsurou and Haruna have arrived first!" she gleefully cheered. Cats were always such fun.

The toradaiyoukai touched down on the wide stone walkway in his true form and growled his presence and greeting. Haruna as well landed in the West as a lithe and deadly leopard cloaked in pale yellow fur that flared at her shoulders and dark purple spots from brow to tail. Her keen green eyes were searching for danger as she landed but she shifted immediately onto two legs and moved to link arms with Katsurou.

"Greetings, Kikuko-sama! It is too long since last we met!" His smile was genuine but strained and she knew the fresh pain that lurked behind it. "We did not bring the children with us this time. There is much to do in the North at the moment."

When they embraced, Kikuko relayed her understanding at his reticence to travel with his children. Resting her forehead against his, she relayed her regret and sorrow at his profound loss. He accepted it wholeheartedly and was encouraged when Kikuko repeated the greeting with Haruna, for it was she who would be most difficult to appease during this meeting. His mate was a woman of few words and aggressive action. He was pleased to see Kikuko acknowledge her in such a way.

"Please follow my maid to your rooms where you may get comfortable and request whatever of the West that you may need." Kikuko swept a pale arm toward the open doors and snapped at a maid to take over.

"Indeed. But tell me first, Kikuko, is Sesshoumaru not here? I cannot sense his presence."

The former Lady of the West sighed a deep sigh. "You are correct, Katsurou. I cannot account for his absence but we are sending missives to locate him. I suspect he has lost track of the days and knows not what he is missing."

"I suspect exactly the opposite, my Lady. I think he knows exactly whom _and where_ he is avoiding." Katsurou grinned a knowing, mischievous grin.

"You know my son too well, I think. Please, this way. I will speak with you again this evening at dinner."

He nodded and pulled Haruna along, disappearing into the Palace.

"Back to work, boys! Here comes the Eastern house. Ah, and the Eastern Lady is with them. Gird your loins." Kikuko sighed again.

Dragons were always a true test of one's patience…

…

Sesshoumaru was indeed avoiding the Palace but not because of the politicians and duties awaiting him there. He had finally discovered the truth behind Inuyasha's seemingly erratic movements: Sesshoumaru himself was being hunted.

Inuyasha had traveled from Niigata to Utsunomiya to the Northern palace on the heels of his half-brother for the last three weeks. The hanyou was wreaking havoc as he followed the scent of the Lord of the West. He was slaughtering the powerful on his way, but it was Sesshoumaru he was truly hunting. Some echoing memory of their past was prompting the hanyou to sever the same arm in his enemies as he once had from his elder half-brother. It was a calling card in flesh. Inuyasha as he was now would be unaware that his former memories were the cause but the instinct to repeat that battle was haunting him.

Ego aside, Sesshoumaru knew he was at the pinnacle of his strength and the hanyou was right in instinctually seeking him out to satisfy his bloodlust. Inuyasha would not stop, however, even** if** Sesshoumaru was killed. He was too far gone. Weeks of violent and youki-driven rampages would have decimated his half-human body and the minute his aura was severely weakened or sealed, he would die. Nothing could be done.

It had taken Sesshoumaru longer than he'd like to admit to realize the hanyou's pattern of movement but he had only recently learned of the devastation at the Utsunomiya estate while tracking Inuyasha's scent back from the Northern castle. If the pattern continued, Inuyasha would track Sesshoumaru's scent back to the Western Palace next and that could not be allowed to happen. The daiyoukai could use this revelation to his advantage. If Inuyasha was trying to find him, he would make it easy for the half-breed.

To stop the hanyou from ever making it to the West, he had camped out in a shallow but expansive valley to the northwest of Edo that was uninhabited by youkai or humans. The inevitable battle was likely to draw attention even here but he hoped it might be over quickly enough to avoid interference. Knowing Inuyasha would not be shielding his aura in the slightest, Sesshoumaru kept his own youki open and unshielded. The tactic would keep others away and draw the hanyou in.

The inudaiyoukai took his true form, releasing more youki than was necessary to tempt the hanyou further if he was near, and hunted through the night in the small valley. Replenishing his strength before the battle was needed. If Inuyasha had absorbed the youki of even half of the daiyoukai he killed in the North, he would be formidable. It would be foolish to think otherwise. After feeding himself fully, Sesshoumaru settled back on two legs and scanned the valley. He found a large rounded boulder at the center of a wide stream and leapt to stand on top of it.

Closing his eyes to remove one sense and strengthen the others, he reached out with only his aura, setting boundaries with his youki like trip wires to catch any whisper of activity throughout the valley. He listened and sniffed the air for any signs. Finding none, he sat down and began to slowly pulse his aura in invitation. It would be days before the hanyou would reach him, backtracking from the Western borders to find his quarry. Sesshoumaru could be patient.

…

_**NO!**_

_**Not here.**_

_**Find him.**_

_**Kill him.**_

Through a red haze, tireless, crazed golden eyes searched endlessly through a sea of disappointment and screaming weaklings for the one. The one who had defeated him again and again. The one who smelled so much like him but was not. The one who taunted and scorned him. The one who abandoned him and hurt him. He would end that demon and prove his strength. He would take his strength and make it his own. Then he would hunt again. Always more. Always another.

A whisper of power caught his attention. It was faint. Far away. Calling him. He could smell it. Feel it. Taste it on his tongue. Now it was time. Strength would be his. Victory would be his.

Snarling his acceptance of the new hunt, Inuyasha wrenched this foe's head from his body, spattering his haori with fresh blood, and vaulted himself over the land toward the pulse of youki calling to him. He would answer. There would be death.

…

A week and a half on the road non-stop had tired Kagome to the bone. She stopped in a small village near a meandering river to the northwest of Edo to rest and resupply. Treating herself to an inn for the night was a wise decision. If the bath alone hadn't sold her on the self-indulgence, the bed certainly would.

She was pushing herself as hard as she could. Covering miles and miles each day, gathering information and searching for him constantly with her reiki. Since Utsunomiya castle, she had been traveling due West through the valleys, cutting across the land directly in the hopes he hadn't gone too far. She was vaguely aware she was headed to the West itself, Sesshoumaru's home, if the accounts from Utsunomiya castle were to be believed. Having never seen it, she wasn't sure it was an actual place in lieu of just a vast stretch of territory. He couldn't be a Lord with no actual subjects, right?

The rumors were following her everywhere. The red demon. The killer hanyou. The golden eyed ghost. It was becoming hard to separate actual accounts from hearsay and she was tired of trying to do so for today. He was out there somewhere and she would find him. But for tonight, her energy was exhausted. Her body was exhausted. And she couldn't listen to one more woman prattle on about some handsome demon she had almost had a tryst with once. The effort to still the rolling of her unbelieving eyes was too tiresome.

Kagome reflected she was so lucky in Sango as a female and a friend. The woman was level-headed, loyal, and undramatic. And Kagome missed her terribly. She missed everyone. At this point, she might even miss Sesshoumaru. No one here was familiar or welcoming. They eyed her with reverence for her abilities or disdain for her impropriety at traveling alone, miko or not. The urge to tell them of her many escapades with her half-demon husband and pride at her adopted demon son was almost overwhelming at times.

_'Humans haven't changed much in five hundred years. Judgmental and threatened by those that are different.'_ Kagome thought sadly.

Settling her things and reorganizing for tomorrow, she changed into a sleeping yukata and laid down on an actual futon for the first time since leaving Edo, falling asleep almost immediately. Dead to the world.

…

A few days later and even farther west, Kagome found herself on a pleasant hillside path overlooking a small and tree-filled valley. Most trees were dropping their leaves in droves and even the noon sunshine didn't drive away the persistent chill. This valley, however, was still coated in a pillowed expanse of treetops painted the shades of fire. The priestess took a deep breath and centered her soul with the rightness of it. Nature was one of the highlights of the Feudal Era. It was all so undisturbed and untamed. Nothing like the concrete jungle of her first home. Even the rural areas of modern Japan were crisscrossed with electrical cables and the noise of airplanes or cars. There was no true isolation. Not like here.

Feeling content and refreshed after a good night's sleep under the stars and a darkening moon, she decided to keep her aura open and spread like a wide web around her in an effort to continue to train her waking skills. First, she realized there were no other humans around for miles. She was surprised to learn she was happy about that. Kagome could feel birds on the wing above and in the valley below her, even burrowing rabbits, and then, like a bolt of lightning, there was a singularly brutal youki flaring to life at the edge of her senses, white hot and demanding. It was pulsing with a regular beat, calling… her? Someone?

The aura was familiar. Deep and expansive, commanding and relentless. The bearer was cloaked in pale green in her mind's eye.

"It couldn't be…" she whispered. She smiled to herself. The first familiar face in almost two weeks. Why was he way out here and flaring his aura so brazenly? Did he need help? No way. But Kagome could find no other reasonable explanation for his openness.

"Well, here goes nothing."

But then suddenly, the call stopped. Her foot paused in mid-step and she could no longer sense him. Maybe he really **was** in trouble…

With curiosity burning in her lungs, she began lolloping down the hillside and started the trek through the woods to find her brother-in-law. What she was going to do when she got there, she had no idea. Following her instincts on this trip hadn't paid off yet but maybe this was the break she needed. Maybe he knew something. Maybe he would share if she could help him with whatever was going on down there. It **had** been almost two weeks since his visit to Edo and he surely moved faster around the countryside than she did.

…

Her aura blinked into existence at the edge of his senses. She was upwind and still very far away at upper ridge of the valley. Perhaps if he cloaked his aura, she would pass him by. He reined his energy in and waited. No such luck. She was approaching faster now. He was surprised at her tenacity. If the miko was here, she was still looking for Inuyasha. And she had chosen her hunt well.

Allowing the annoyance of his day being disturbed to pass, Sesshoumaru considered that if he divulged his plan to her perhaps she could expedite the outcome. Did she not remind him of her ability to control the hanyou in his previous lapses of sanity? She would not need to know Inuyasha would perish anyway. He guessed her emotional attachment would prevent her from doing what was necessary. No, perhaps that was unfair. She was a warrior. She might understand if he could prepare her. That might make the aftershock that much easier. She might even have an alternative to offer. Her mind was quick and she reasoned differently than most humans he had encountered. Mind made up, he unsealed his youki and let it flow freely again.

Furthermore, if she were to come back to the West with him to help explain the matter to the council, that would prove even more useful. Yes, her presence could alleviate a few of his worries it seemed. Immediate future decided, he settled down on his perch in the river and decided to meditate, casting his net even farther out to reach the lost hanyou.

Even in this state, he smelled her long before he felt the closeness of her aura. Cold rain, filling his nose with the alkaline scent of water and ice, and the fragile camelia blossoms of early spring. It was unique for a human. Even more so for a miko. They usually maintained tight control over their auras. This one allowed herself to be detected openly and freely. She was unique in many ways, he realized.

Her aura reached his as she stepped into the glade where he waited. The feel of it washing over him was like dousing himself in ice water. Too much or too long and it would start to burn. The feel of it winding its way up his spine, digging into his brain, forcing him to acknowledge what she was. That she was powerful and dangerous in her own way. Like him.

"Sesshoumaru?"

A small voice broke through his blind assessment of her and he slowly opened amber eyes and turned his head to face her.

…

Kagome was sure Sesshoumaru was this way. Or was it that way? His youki was everywhere and the epicenter of it was getting harder to find. He had amplified his aura somehow in the last few minutes and her reiki was on overdrive. She coaxed it back down, reminding herself this was most definitely an ally… more or less.

Tripping over a tree root hidden beneath the thickening piles of leaves, she yelped and nearly fell forward, hair falling into her vision as she did. Huffing her frustration at her clumsiness, Kagome straightened up and pulled out her yellow hair ribbon from a sleeve pocket. Looking around and deftly braiding her long hair at the same time, she spied a flash of silver through the trees near the burbling, shallow river ahead.

The priestess stepped slowly closer so the daiyoukai wasn't threatened or annoyed. He surely knew she was approaching but was facing away from her, sitting as if in meditation, legs crossed and palms resting on his knees.

_'He could be a river kami right now for all anyone knows.'_ she thought, appreciating the serenity of the scene and his inhuman ability to remain so still.

She walked onto the bank of the small river, sandals crunching the small pebbles underfoot, before interrupting him.

"Sesshoumaru?"

She saw him raise his chin slightly and turn to acknowledge her. She smiled gently at recognizing a familiar face. Kagome needed someone who understood what was happening. Not gossipy women and lascivious men who didn't really care about what she was asking but were interested in her mouth nonetheless. She shook away the gross feeling.

"I'm sorry if I interrupted you but I'm glad to see you, actually. How are you?"

_'Babbling at Sesshoumaru, Kagome. Great. Real smart.'_

"I sensed your presence long ago, miko. Why have you come?"

Right to the point but he was being… pleasant.

"I haven't had any luck finding Inuyasha since you left. Have you?"

"I have not."

"Oh." she said sadly.

_'She still hopes for a positive result. Convincing her otherwise may be difficult.'_ he theorized.

While he formulated a strategy, he noticed changes in her scent. It wound around new flavors of wood ashes and yuzu. She looked sad and was winding her fingers in the folds of her red hakama.

_'She is sad and nervous. Unique scents for her myriad of emotions. Interesting.'_

His singular interest in her for the moment gave rise to these new discoveries. He had never taken the time to catalogue human emotions or note their changes. Rin's scents often only varied between thoughtful and happy, other than her natural summer sunshine and forest fern scents. She was rarely sad and he had only ever smelled her fear in the first few months they traveled together. After then, he took great care to never scent fear on her again. It would be insulting as her guardian.

"What are you doing here specifically?" she continued. "And why are you flaring your youki like that?"

"I am waiting for the hanyou as I suspect he is headed west. I will intercept him here. My aura will draw him and repel all others."

Kagome's eyes widened and she stepped forward.

"Really, it will? But why get him here?"

He stood and jumped to land directly in front of her.

"Because he is hunting me." he told her, with a mischievous lilt to his voice. Like a secret.

_'He's excited by the idea of being hunted?'_

To her credit, she did not flinch or falter as he landed. Curious azure eyes immediately came up to meet his. It wasn't a challenge, he knew she was ignorant of inu mannerisms, but it felt like one and he suppressed the growl to reprimand her boldness.

"Hunting **you**? Why?"

"He seeks power. I am his ultimate goal."

_'Kami, Sesshoumaru. That's arrogant even for you.'_ she groaned internally.

"Okay, but how do you **know** he's hunting you?"

_'Her curiosity rivals a pup's!'_ he thought, annoyed of her questions already.

"He tracked my scent north and then south again." He clipped at her, shifting and looking around before turning back to continue the conversation. "He also confiscated the left arm of his victims. I surmise that is a reference to our prior battle."

"That's it!" she shouted, surprising him. "**Kami**, I've been trying to figure out why for days! I knew there was some significance." She closed her eyes at the relief of finally getting that last piece of the puzzle. "I came from Utsunomiya a few days ago and when they told me about the General's death and his missing arm, I was suspicious but I couldn't place it."

_'She was following the same line of thought. Good. She is intelligent enough to understand what must happen then.'_

Sesshoumaru opened his mouth to begin the discussion of what must happen next when her stomach chose to make itself known first.

"A-ha. Sorry. Guess I'm going fishing before making camp. Oh right, can I stay here and wait with you for Inuyasha?"

"Hm."

"Is that a 'yes'? I'm never really sure." Kagome put her hands on her hips and waited.

"Yes, miko. Hunt. I will remain here."

"Thanks. Be back soon!" She waved and jogged into the trees.

He did not acknowledge her leaving but watched her retreat. This human woman was a mystery. She was self-sufficient enough to travel alone and provide for herself but yet she chose companionship with his half-brother? She chose to live among humans who were much less accomplished than herself and would constantly require her help. A pack was a unit where all members pulled equal weight, save for the greater burden of the alpha, but it seemed like much more was required of her in particular. Why did she choose to bear the burden of so many? Why play alpha to humans who clearly did not recognize her superiority?

…

As Kagome left the glade, she slowed her walk. Inuyasha was coming here. She placed a hand over her heart to measure its rapid beat. If Sesshoumaru was sure Inuyasha was coming this way, it was probably true. She had only heard of Inuyasha being further east a few days ago but she most definitely made slower progress than the daiyoukai who could fly on a whim. His statement about Inuyasha hunting him made sense. If he was hunting for power, Sesshoumaru **was** a good place to start, and the left arm thing was macabre but also made sense in context. The missing limbs made her that much more apprehensive about meeting him again.

He had done horrible things since he'd left and trailed death behind him as he went. So much death. Could they live in Edo anymore? Could they cuddle up together in bed at night and sigh contentedly ever again? What did life look like on the other side of his madness? Was there life at all? Kagome shook off the dark thoughts creeping in. If that happened, she would face it but there was planning to do.

During their quest for Naraku, his demonic state was brought on several times in quick succession until they learned how to control it. After that, Inuyasha had been careful not to stray too far from Tessaiga and guarded it warily. Wait, where was Tessaiga now? Did he not have it with him? It couldn't be that simple. Maybe Sesshoumaru would know. That was plan A.

The next had been to use the kotodama. Reaching in her sleeves, she fingered the heavy beads hidden there. After trying Tessaiga, she would use them to try to subdue him. If that brought him around, then they had time to plan. To talk. She desperately wanted hear his voice. Hear his thoughts on what was happening. Hear him say her name again.

If neither of those worked, she was hesitant to try the last. She wouldn't purify him. She couldn't.

But she could seal him.

Her heart clenched painfully at the idea but he couldn't be allowed to roam free the way he was. If he was going to be **here**, he would have to be pinned down **here** and not allowed to leave until a solution could be found. And Kagome still had no idea why this was happening.

_'Add that to the list of things to ask Sesshoumaru when I get back. Maybe he knows something.'_

Finally finding a few decent sized fish downstream, Kagome headed back to make camp. She felt the call of youki pulsing through the woods again as she strolled back into the glade. Sesshoumaru had resumed his position on the boulder in the stream and was simply sitting and gazing at the sky, silver hair lifted occasionally by the cool breeze.

_'He looks so lonely and a little sad. I wonder if he has any other family or anyone other than Rin.'_ she wondered. _'No, he does have other family. He's just chosen to be particular about blood.'_

Preparing her fire and dinner took less time than she thought and soon, she was spreading blankets under the stars and preparing to sleep. Her company was still calling Inuyasha with his youki when she approached him again.

"Sesshoumaru? Can I ask you a few things?" Her voice was clear and loud in the dark.

"Hm?" He did not move or acknowledge her otherwise.

"I was wondering… if you knew why this was happening to Inuyasha?"

His aura centered itself within him and he looked over to her on the river bank. His eyes found hers in the dark. Kagome realized they glowed in the firelight so much like Inuyasha's did, but the emotions there were so different. So guarded.

"I do. He has inherited the ability to draw in the youki of others from our sire." He paused when she remained silent but then continued. "The captain I sent to test him described the situation and there is no doubt. The Inu no Taisho was formidable in its application but a hanyou is inferior in body and spirit. Now that his ability has awoken, it will never cease and Inuyasha cannot control it. It will kill him in time. Very soon, miko, he will die."

Kagome knew. Deep down somewhere she had been denying the truth of the situation. She couldn't be mad with Sesshoumaru for telling her outright. He probably thought he was simply explaining and had no concept of the hurt he was causing. She let her tears fall freely, not wiping or hiding them from him. The fire was at her back so maybe he wouldn't see them anyway.

Sesshoumaru was concerned at his acquiescence to answer all of her many questions. He had been keeping this revelation of Inuyasha's power mostly to himself, with the exception of the inu brothers waiting in the West, and he realized it was a relief to tell her. To tell someone who would understand without the arduous backstory to accompany these new developments. Moreover, he was satisfied to share the outcome of this battle with her. Whatever his feelings about the hanyou as a relative, Inuyasha **was** an inu in part, and it went against the alpha's nature to kill one so clearly outmatched and unprepared. Her presence might provide a boon to his screaming instincts in some small way.

"But then… where is Tessaiga? If we can find it and get it back in his hands, maybe-"

"He discarded it, priestess. I have brought the fang but it will not keep his youki contained. The sword is lighter than I have ever felt it. Tessaiga is drained from its efforts these past months. I suspect it will shatter if he draws it."

"So… what do you plan to do if he comes here?" she asked in a whisper, already knowing the answer.

"I will end him."

He said it factually. No anger or sadness. No mirth or guile. It was only the truth. To Kagome, it was the end of her world.

"No, Sesshoumaru, **please**! There has to be another way! This isn't his fault. Please help me find another way!" she sobbed. "Don't give up on him…"

"There is no other way."

He ignored her crying and the sound of her knees falling to the stones at the shore. He could not help her come to terms with Inuyasha's death. She would have to accept the truth on her own.

"I won't let you! I can stop him! Please let me try before you kill him?! Please!"

"How?" he narrowed his eyes at her now. Her emotions were indeed ruling her. He had hoped for better given her vast experience with death.

Kagome sniffled and tried to calm her voice and shaking hands. She could not erase the coarse and raspy sound of the sadness that clung there but carried on.

"We should try to get Tessaiga to him first but if that doesn't work, I brought the kotodama with me. If I can use them to pin him down, maybe I can get through to him."

"Beads of subjugation. Hn. His youki will have surpassed their ability. They would no more work on Inuyasha than This Sesshoumaru."

"No, given the amount of reiki I can use to activate them, that might not be true." She hoped it wasn't.

"It is true. Do not fool yourself. Have you another plan?"

Kagome raised her chin and met his eyes then.

"I can seal him. I have the power and I know how but that must be a last resort. I can't imagine hurting him like that but it's better than his death."

"How?"

"Excuse me?"

"How is being sealed in agony better than death?" The acid dripped from his words now. She was wrong and she should know it. Wielding her abilities like they were painless and faultless was ignorant and careless.

"Agony? No, he'll just be asleep until we can find a solution." she said softly, confused.

"Tell me, priestess. Does your unconscious mind forget all that has occurred because you are asleep?"

"No. Are you asking me if I have nightmares? Is that what you're getting at?"

"Yes. His trauma will manifest around him like a prison. He has killed hundreds in his rampage. He will relive every death and every regret for as long as he is sealed. It is a fate worse than death. Dishonorable and thoughtless. I do not wish it for the hanyou and neither should you."

_'Why does he suddenly care so much? He's never cared about Inuyasha before. And his description of being sealed… how would he know?'_

"But what else can I do?" Kagome asked, desperate for a different answer but knowing what he would say.

"Accept his fate, miko. And aid me in it." he tried.

She sobbed again, swallowing every unsightly noise she could, but it was over. He had broken down all of her defenses, her whole plan. Reduced to nothing in minutes.

"You can't- sit there- and ask me to- to kill my husband, Sesshoumaru! Even you're not **that** heartless…" she gasped as she wept.

"It is not heartless. He will die in his right mind. Take comfort in that, if you must."

"If you can promise that, why can't we just bring him back? Why kill him if you can save him?" Her voice adopted a raspy tremble, throat aching as she pleaded again for his help.

"I cannot seal his ability. It is his until death. The new moon will ensure his sanity returns, I believe."

Sesshoumaru cast his eyes heavenward from his perch. Kagome followed him from the shore. The moon was indeed almost gone. Tomorrow night it would darken completely. How could she have forgotten?

"What? The new moon- Oh no. It's been two weeks already? I had forgotten!" She rounded on him, anger flaring. "But **you** knew! You've been planning this all along. Defeating him when he's weak and taking advantage of his human night! It's wrong, Sesshoumaru. It's cowardly! How can you-"

"Hold your tongue, woman! Do not misunderstand my calm for complacency! I alone have righted the wrongs his lunacy has wrought. I have baited him here. And I will kill him, miko. Make no mistake."

His sneer forced her anger to rise. He was **not** always right. This was not the only way. If they worked together, maybe they could find a new answer but he had already appointed himself judge and executioner with no one to challenge him. Fine. **She** would challenge him. Crossing her arms like armor around her breaking heart, she planted her feet and yelled at Sesshoumaru.

"Well, **maybe** if you had helped him yourself instead of pawning the task off on a soldier, it might be different!"

"There was no indication such action was needed. Sending a subordinate was perfectly acceptable at the time." He shot back.

"Yeah, until Inuyasha nearly killed him then you deigned to step in yourself."

"You will hold your tongue in matters you know nothing about!"

He was standing now, leaning forward with claws flexed. She was too angry to be afraid, aura rising like an ocean wave threatening to crash down at any moment. His skin tingled as her energy threatened to overflow. He was hyper aware of her breathing, her movements, her angry and accusatory cerulean stare in the darkness of the glade.

"Well, let's go farther back then. Ignoring him his entire life, leaving him to fend for himself in the wild with no training, no parents and no home. How did you expect him to prepare himself for this? He has no idea who his father really was!"

"He was not wanted. It was not my responsibility to protect my father's bastard son from the world and certainly not This One's responsibility to raise him!" he snarled back.

"Don't make excuses for yourself, Sesshoumaru. Don't justify your apathy and neglect to me. I don't care why you think it was okay to leave a child to the world when there are so few of you left. It was wrong and you know it!"

Sesshoumaru took one short leap from the river and landed in front of her in a buffeting swirl of silk and silver. She did not look away. Her chin was raised in defiance and her arms remained crossed at her breasts. He strode over to stand directly in front of her, nothing the way her heart sped up at his proximity. She smelled of anger and sadness and something else… something deeper.

"You take advantage of my patience, miko. I warn you: it is wearing perilously thin." he growled with gritted teeth.

She stepped closer to him and let her arms hang down at her sides. Her eyes shifted from angry and flashing, turning down at the corners and shining with understanding. He nervously looked at both of her hands, expecting her to touch him. When she did not, he was… What was that feeling? The miko did not give him time to identify the sensation but instead, continued her assault.

"Maybe if you had treated him like a brother instead of an annoyance you wouldn't be so sad and lonely." She said it quietly and knew it was true.

How could she have known? How had she cut through him so quickly, so expertly? His rage was palpable at her precision in dissecting his emotions. A ragged snarl was her only warning as searing youki exploded over the glade and knocked her backward. Before she could recover, he was there, hovering over her with a hand at her throat that was wet with caustic poison. Her skin hissed with the contact and the sand beneath her fragile neck began to melt away. He was pressing so hard, it forced her to grab his arm and fight back for breath. Reiki crackled at his forearm but he did not relent. His hard, amber eyes bored into hers. Fangs flashing in the firelight. Eyes bleeding red. The low growl as he upbraided her echoed through her chest.

"You know **nothing** of me."

But she did know, and it made him all the angrier. He left the glade and took to the sky, howling his rage at the clear night in his bestial form.

Kagome watched him go and felt guilty. She was no better than he. She had baited and angered him to make herself feel something other than this crushing sadness. She knew her husband would die. The sinking feeling only grew with each passing day after he told her of his affliction. With each new account of his madness on the road, she was reminded how life would never be the same again. Inuyasha had gone too far and was too far gone. And if his new abilities were his until death, like Sesshoumaru had said, this episode would only repeat itself over and over in his long life. She knew Sesshoumaru was right.

Kagome curled in on herself and wept at the riverbank.

...

**Author's Note:** I will tell you that they don't separate for a long time after this so SessKag fans should start to see more of their interactions. I hope you're still enjoying it so far. Let me know, if you feel inspired.

I have also gone back in a edited the first four chapters to clarify and fix some things. Doesn't change the story too much but it flows better and makes a little more sense now. Happy reading and I hope everyone stays safe and healthy!


	14. Chapter 14 - I'd Rather Go Blind

**Author's Note:** I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

This chapter contains a major character death.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 14 - I'd Rather Go Blind**

Kagome woke in the pebbly sand at the river's edge. She was instantly damp, freezing, and momentarily confused.

_'Right. Sesshoumaru. Fighting.'_ her mind wearily supplied.

Swollen and angry eyes were sore from unstoppable and innumerable tears. Tears of anger, frustration, sadness, longing, helplessness. She felt no better. Sesshoumaru was gone and Kagome wasn't surprised. She had said some unforgiving, albeit true, things to him. With all his power, even the daiyoukai couldn't change the past, even if he wanted to, and she had thrown it all in his face.

Sitting up was startlingly, breathtakingly painful and she was reminded of the severe damage to the flesh at her neck.

_'Poison. I forgot. Gods, he was so angry. Well, you **made** him angry, Kagome. Full well knowing he could murder you if the mood struck him.'_

Kagome wondered wryly when her sense of self-preservation had packed up. When she attempted to sigh, nothing but a raspy rush of air left her lips. She coughed and braced herself on the ground in pain. He hadn't killed her but he had effectively silenced her from the outside in. The damage was deep and oozing, and throbbing the more her body stirred to life. She forced herself to drink some river water and slow her heart. The poison was creeping slowly through her system and her reiki was stalling its barrage but not removing it completely. That would require focus and effort.

Washing tear-stained cheeks in the river, she rubbed the soreness from her eyes with dirtying sleeves and moved over the ashes of the fire from the night before to start it again. Now that she had more information but no viable plan, it was time to start over. The new moon would rise at the end of today and if she could find Inuyasha first and bring him back, maybe she could persuade Sesshoumaru to help her find a better solution. It was a fragile hope but it had to be enough for now.

Meditation was a start. Training was next. The mind and the body… What would Miroku say?

_'The Buddha tells us that 'the secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.''_

She smiled and the strain of muscles brought fresh pain to her throat but she was glad to remember her wise friend in the midst of this nightmare. With renewed resolve, Kagome rose from the riverbed to meet the day.

…

Closer.

Much closer now.

He was near. His scent was everywhere. On the wind, on the ground, through the trees.

_**'His aura calls me. His blood is mine!'**_

Bloodstained claws twitched in anticipation at the thought of rending flesh from his prey. It would be a true fight. He would enjoy it. Every other was a disappointment. No challenge. He could not rise above all others in power with no true opponent to battle. But this one was different.

**_'Faster!'_**

His legs did not tire or stumble. He would run until he met his foe in battle. Nothing would distract him from his quest. He would be there soon. Soon the only obstacle between this moment and true dominance would be removed.

…

Light was creeping slowly between the trees when Sesshoumaru touched down in the forest from the sky above. Leaves collapsed under his feet and the sound grated on his nerves. Everything was grating on his nerves. The fight today would be a welcome one. This journey of errors and emotions and futility would finally come to an end. The upheaval of his world would cease and life could return to a rhythm he himself dictated. The foreign and reverse feeling of not being in control would die with the hanyou.

It was his duty to end this before the whelp could further unbalance his world. Inuyasha was merely obeying his instincts but he was ending millennia old bloodlines. It was… uncomfortable killing him. Blood was a powerful bond and whatever Sesshoumaru thought of the hanyou personally, without this outright perversion of his nature, the elder would not have killed him. Sesshoumaru had been given the chance so many times and passed it by in favor of waiting to see what the pup would do next.

Touga must have considered his youngest son often and at great length to have garnered so many gifts even before his birth, and Sesshoumaru had found that the hardest to swallow. While Sesshoumaru himself was still living and attempting to fulfill his quest to best his father, Touga had spent considerable time planning to raise the half-blood bastard of a human after him.

Inheriting the burden of leadership was just that, a burden. How often had he thought about the freedom so many others took for granted? Freedom to move about unchecked and unburdened, knowing all that awaited you was work of your own making. Taking care of your own pack to the exclusion of all else. Like Inuyasha. The jealousy that rose up within him tasted bitter and unbecoming.

Today would not be easy in any sense. The hanyou's power was formidable. His strength and stamina aided by endless energy reserves meant Sesshoumaru would have to find another way. Not knowing the strength of his enemy before battle was unfamiliar but, then again, nothing about this situation was. Warring over land or mating rights, he might have expected from a sibling, but not to have to put him down like a sick beast. It was without honor, and his name would forever be tied to the mistakes of his father once again. Sesshoumaru had trouble making peace with the idea. He reflected that it seemed as if he would forever be punished for doing as duty demanded instead of what his instincts required. He idly hoped one day it would be different.

His trek through the night brought him little solace. The priestess had so keenly seen through him. How? He had lived centuries with others who had observed less. His defenses and discipline were iron clad. Or so he had thought. Who was she to see beyond the still and stoic mask to expose him? Frustrated and angry all over again, Sesshoumaru launched himself into the sky and hovered there, releasing his aura again. He knew the miko would sense him nearby. He wasn't far away from the glade where they had confronted each other. This valley was the perfect place to avoid drawing attention or interference. He would not abandon his own plans so easily to avoid a human woman.

_'If she does not die from her injuries, she will be weakened in the coming days. Either way, her meddling will cease.'_

…

Kagome was sitting on the same boulder, centered in the river, where she had found the daiyoukai yesterday evening. It was a calming spot, she admitted. He had chosen well. The hum of the water was soothing and the boulder was large and cool, perfect to center your body. She was deep in meditation. Contemplating as much as she could in peace before the battle ahead: her love of her husband, her knowledge of the wild youki she would be facing, and the weapons available to her should it come to that. She also found Sesshoumaru's dark and acrid poison creeping through her and purified it. Then she saw her neck, gouged in an angry and dark yellow, and prodded her reiki to heal it faster than normal. Soon the poison was gone and her neck was returned to its normal patch of pale and unmarred skin.

She was still deep in thought when his prickly aura washed over her again, pulsing as a beacon for their mutual target, far above her. It entered her mind's eye and she was forced to see its beauty. Warm, pale green of new spring growth and delicate yellow ribbons of power, flowing in and out of her conscious recognition, teasing and tangling with her own isolating sphere of ice blue reiki. His youki was poking and pulling at her but she was busy, focused, and in no mood to entertain him. He was calling Inuyasha, she knew, but some part of him was interested in her as well. This might be the closest thing to an apology she would ever get from him; this weird recognition that he was subconsciously focused on her in some way.

_"Energies often manifest into an echo of our deepest thoughts and desires when they leave us." _Miroku had said.

Huffing her disappointment that Sesshoumaru wasn't going to let her focus in meditation, intentionally or not, Kagome moved on to physical training with a groan. She removed the white kosode and red hakama and stood in her tailor-made black and violet battle raiment. Searching through her pack for the black boots that made swift movement much easier, she tugged them on and stretched her body like a cat to the morning sun. Finding a hair ribbon, she tied it up in a high ponytail and tugged at the ends to make sure it would withstand her exercise. The air was chilled but still, and she knew she'd be warm in no time. Palming her staff, Kagome went to the center of the glade and closed her eyes, planning movements and listening to the forest.

Miroku had been merciless in his physical instruction once he knew her limits, and he'd be pissed she was slacking now. She loved and missed him so much. Aside from being one of the best friends of her life, he was patient and smart and worldly. Kagome realized she had undervalued him during their journey but depended on him without thinking, to his credit. His motivation sounded more like berating most of the time but she was glad to hear his voice echoing through her head as she pushed her body harder than she had in a week. Now was not the time to slack. She jogged leisurely to the edge of the clearing and waited.

_'Faster!' _she heard Miroku command.

Kagome sprinted from one end of the glade to the other, tucking into a roll before planting a heel and turning back into the other direction to repeat.

_'Remember your sequence and flow from this set to the next! Forms are only useful if they are accurate.'_

Jab, arc over, spin, and slash. She held the staff just below the end caps and swung a circle over her head, bringing it down sharply to the ground before lifting it again and repeating in several directions. Her body was warm and responsive now. Sweat was beginning to pill on her neck.

_'Fill your movements with your aura. Let it move with you and around you.'_

Kagome let her reiki coat her skin like armor. Small and glowing spheres of her energy joined her exercise, dancing around, merging and separating as she continued to flow through the forms Miroku had taught her. A tear leaked from her eye at the thought of using her new skills on Inuyasha but she did not stop her practice or pause to wipe it away.

_'Harder! The enemy will not fall with such a shallow thrust! Again!'_

Before long, she found a rhythm that felt right and was shifting from move to move gracefully with her staff and thinking of nothing else. Cartwheeling away, using her feet and elbows, and flaring reiki along the chinks in her defenses. Spinning the staff over her head, Kagome watched the leaves fall from the trees ringing the glade as the wind picked up.

_'Let's have some fun then, huh?'_ the miko thought. It had been a while since she had any fun.

A mischievous smile appeared as she tagged the first few with the polished steel caps of her staff. The steel ends of the weapon crushed the leaves in midair and sent fractured pieces falling to the ground around her. Laughing aloud at the fun of it, Kagome caught two more when she slid the staff through her loose palm and speared them on contact over her head. It was a game now. Avoid and destroy. Dropping the staff down to catch the grip again, she planted a foot and stabbed the air, left and then right, spearing two more. Spinning the weapon vertically in her hands, several more were shredded when the miko turned, side stepping a few more dancing around the ground in the breeze. Four more were rebuffed in front of her when the staff came down hard at arm's length, lying flat against the ground as she crouched low. She huffed an exerted giggle and stood at ease, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

…

Kagome was not aware she had an audience but Sesshoumaru had been watching her most of the morning with nothing else to distract him from the waiting. She was serious about her meditation but grew frustrated as he resumed pulsing his aura. Then she stripped down into barely anything to begin training. Indecently skin tight leather hugged every swell and valley of her body and when she bent over to find her boots, he had to look away. What woman would wear something so blatantly scandalous to fight in?

Then he understood. While the bulky clothing of her profession was appropriate so as not to distract from her duties, this outfit was made for movement, albeit with little regard for decency. He recalled seeing the other woman that traveled with his half-brother wearing something equally form-fitting but had paid little attention at the time. The young miko's posture was atrocious, and her forms were slack and without grace or power.

Then she flared her aura and released it throughout the clearing. Her power manifested around her in orbs of light like minute stars brought to earth, flaring to life at her command and dancing as she moved. He watched her move them as she moved her body. Watched her smile. Watched her tears slide down a pale cheek.

_'So, she does accept the truth.'_ he realized.

Kagome continued and stilled when the breeze separated a flurry of leaves from the trees. She giggled lightly and resumed her training targeting the fluttering leaves. At least the miko was adept enough to slaughter leaves in a clearing with no real enemy present. He scoffed.

_'Ridiculous. Why waste time and energy on something so unproductive and childish?'_ he thought, before turning away and scanning the horizon once more.

…

Shippou floated over the forest around Edo with excitement. It hadn't been long since he was home but the little kit was worried about his mother being all alone at home while Inuyasha was out doing… whatever it was he needed to do with Sesshoumaru. Shippou felt guilty that he had no idea what was going on. Finishing his tasks and tests early had been hard but Kagome would be so happy to see him home so soon and before the winter break.

He landed at their house and lifted the curtain on the front door only to find it shuttered. The door on the side too, had been shuttered closed. He knocked anyway to be sure.

"Momma?" he called at the door, his voice sounding small.

His sharp hearing didn't catch any sounds of movement inside or the crackling of a fire or the smells of cooking. It was early evening and everyone should be home by now, including Kagome. His heart started to beat faster. The startling feeling of abandonment surfaced quickly. Inuyasha was gone. She was gone. Who else was here? Was he alone?

Two warm hands grabbed him from behind as he stood shaking on the doorstep. Lost in his panic, Shippou turned and growled at his captor.

"There, there, Shippou. There's no cause for alarm." Miroku soothed, lifting him to eye level.

"Miroku! You're here!" the scared Shippou yelled. Glowing, emerald eyes welled up with tears. "I- I thought-"

"I know. Kagome-sama is sorry she isn't here to welcome you but you are to stay with us until she returns. Are you alright?"

"So she's gone? How long? Where'd she go?"

"To find Inuyasha. The situation is serious I'm afraid. She was sure you'd be at school until her return."

"I was. I should be. But I wanted to come home and surprise her in case she was lonely."

"Such a dutiful son, Shippou. I'm sure she will be back soon and will be most happy to see you. Now come, dinner is almost ready, and Sango and the children will be thrilled to see you."

"Mm hmm, okay." he agreed, casting a longing look back at their house as Miroku carried him away. "But she'll really be back soon?"

"I believe so. I hope so. Come, it's time for some dinner cooked by my lovely wife." He smiled but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

…

The day wore on and the sun peaked and began to descend. Kagome kept her senses trained on the valley. Reiki rolled from her in waves to cover the bulk of the small valley floor in an effort to detect the moment Inuyasha came over the hill. She stayed in her fighting outfit, not wanting to take a chance. She checked her staff, her bow, crafted a few arrows and laid them in her quiver. She took a few more out and speared the ground with them in groups of three around the clearing and some closer to Sesshoumaru.

Her companion had decided to land some time ago and resume his post on the boulder, ignoring her completely.

_'Fine. Be an ass. See if I care.'_

She didn't care. Not really. She only had to keep him from trying to murder his brother… again.

Her thoughts were cut off as Sesshoumaru quickly stood and lifted his chin, analyzing the scents on the wind. His eyes narrowed to the North, turning fully away from her, and Kagome found it hard to breathe as she watched him. Her heart leaped and jilted in her chest.

"Sesshoumaru?" she asked, argument forgotten.

"Silence." he commanded.

He was trying to listen, to hear, to smell. The first faint trace of the hanyou's scent came on the wind. He was not close enough to feel but his scent was unmistakable.

"Sesshoumaru? Is it him?" she tried again.

"You should not be here." he said quietly, without turning around.

"I have more of a right to be here than you. Or at least an equal one. I'm **begging** you: **please** let me try to bring him around before you hurt him!"

He looked over his shoulder at her before disappearing into the woods faster than her eyes could follow.

_'Oh no, you don't! He was looking north. Fine, I'll go north.'_

She stumbled and fought through the dense underbrush, climbing and trudging as fast as she could. The sun was nearly touching the upper ridge of the rounded hills atop the valley. Sweat was running down her face and neck, and breathing was becoming painful the harder she worked. The air chilled and became dry as Kagome ascended the hill, following Sesshoumaru's unmistakable aura. He was hovering there, just over the ridge. Her curiosity and fear both grew as his energy flared sharply, making her shiver with the intensity of it even halfway down the ridge.

_'What **are** you doing up there?'_ Her mind was racing but her feet were fighting progress now. She had jogged or climbed halfway across the small valley in a single afternoon, leagues and leagues, following Sesshoumaru's youki. Endurance training on flat ground was one thing but trekking uphill through the forest was draining her. Without warning, a fierce roar echoed over the edge of the valley and a new, violent aura slammed against her senses and began approaching rapidly. So much pain and anger were wrapped up in it. The energy was balled tight in on itself with no flexibility. Kill or be killed. It was an animal of pure savage instinct.

_'Inuyasha! It must be him! Oh please, don't let me be too late…'_

Burning in her legs and lungs forgotten, Kagome hauled herself up to the ridge as fast as she could still manage using her staff for support, slipping on thick piles of fallen leaves and cursing her slow progress. Peering through the trees at the peak, the young miko was trying desperately to recover her breath and squinting against the twilight to see the field below.

Recognition gave way to relief and then to dread. He was here. But that was not her hanyou.

The red and white blur struggling against Sesshoumaru was her husband in body. She could make out his white, triangular ears and silver hair from way up here in the snatches of time he was moving slowly enough. Haunting crimson eyes were oblivious to everything around him as he single-mindedly howled and attacked the inudaiyoukai. His hair was dirty and matted with layers of dried blood and gore. His arms were soaked with it, too, and the blood there looked fresh. He was snarling and roaring in anger behind a sword she didn't recognize. She shuddered to think that he had been this way for a month now. Her eyes burned with sadness when she discovered he wasn't really there. He had no idea who she was or who Sesshoumaru really was.

Sesshoumaru wasn't pulling any punches. He appeared calm and in control, but his mouth was locked into a thin line, brow furrowed in concentration. He was testing the hanyou's strength to gauge what could be done and Kagome was grateful. He wasn't trying to murder Inuyasha outright for now. She still had time to get to him and stall any mortal damage if she could get there before Sesshoumaru decided to take the fight seriously.

…

The hanyou was insane. He smelled of the blood of hundreds of youkai and humans. He was growling unintelligible noises, not speaking the inu tongue.

"**Stop!**" Sesshoumaru tried, commanding the hanyou. When he was ignored completely, he tried again after forcefully parrying a katana blow and shoving the hanyou back and away.

"Why do you attack?" he roared over the singing of blades and the guttural growling coming from Inuyasha.

Sesshoumaru could not communicate with him between blows. Inuyasha was an animal with a singular purpose. The sheer volume of energy the half-breed had amassed was staggering, even to him. The hanyou had no training in youki manipulation and so used the stolen youki in the crudest and simplest ways possible: raw power and speed.

"Who are you?" he tried again. A simple question. The answer was also simple, if his half-brother could manage it.

Using Bakusaiga to parry the sloppy but powerful katana attacks, the Western Lord was alternating disruptive blasts from his sword and swift strikes to cut through Inuyasha's defenses. But the hanyou was fast. Too fast. The youki Inuyasha had accumulated meant he could accelerate every motion and reaction far beyond his usual skill. Sesshoumaru was defending more than he was attacking as his quest for any sensible answer wore on. Inuyasha would never burn through his stolen energy before the new moon rose.

No answer came from Inuyasha as Sesshoumaru tried again and again to make him speak. No ground could be gained during the fight as it was. Since he could not be reasoned with, or worn down, Sesshoumaru came to the conclusion that the time for stalling was over. He vaguely recognized the aura of the priestess coming across the rise but stopped focusing on her completely when Inuyasha leapt from several feet away with claws outstretched. Vanishing in a millisecond, Sesshoumaru appeared behind the hanyou and aimed Bakusaiga directly at him, waiting for him to turn.

The hanyou, his half-brother, would have to die, he realized. It was a disconcerting thought. Some part of Sesshoumaru had hoped there was another way. But he would die with honor. The daiyoukai would not wait to end him when he was human. That would be cowardly. He would have to find another way. If he could accomplish it before the miko reached them, all the better. Her interference was no longer welcome and this needed to end soon.

…

Kagome started down the hill as quickly as she could, realizing her stamina was waning. She glanced up at the sun. It was getting too close to the horizon. Something had to be done and fast. Stop them both somehow. Sesshoumaru couldn't be allowed to do too much damage before she could bring Inuyasha back or he'd be dead when his youki left him at sundown. She cursed herself for being human and slow for the first time in her life. This run down the hill was taking too damn long. When she finally reached the bottom, the sun was even lower. The light was fading.

The brothers were still locked in combat in the grassy expanse beyond the forest's edge. She watched as Inuyasha swept a clawed arm out and barely missed Sesshoumaru's throat. The daiyoukai pulled back in time and swung Bakusaiga out at the hanyou's middle. Inuyasha caught the swing with his own sword and deflected it upward, spinning toward Sesshoumaru with a powerful kick. To Kagome's surprise, it landed and Sesshoumaru was thrown backward. He recovered quickly and turned in midair to land on his feet before sprinting forward to blast Bakusaiga at the smirking, crazed hanyou.

_'At this rate, they'll kill each other before I can get there!'_ she thought desperately.

The closer Kagome got, the more she realized how lost Inuyasha was. He was grinning the wide-eyed and crazed grin of a homicidal maniac as he sliced through the sleeve of Sesshoumaru's haori, neatly dividing the fabric in two. The slash was followed immediately by a swipe from the claws of the hanyou's free hand. This one connected but only barely. Kagome heard the shatter of his armor and gasped. Sesshoumaru backed away for a moment and Kagome saw the angry, red trails of four deep gouges in the daiyoukai's chest and the hanging, fractured remains of his armor. The blow had looked like Inuyasha's claws only barely grazed him but the gashes were glowing a telling bright red from the excess youki Inuyasha was using to fight and bleeding profusely. Kagome knew the injury could become serious over time if Sesshoumaru didn't heal it soon. When the Western lord shrugged the rest of his armor down his shoulders and let it fall to the ground, Kagome was left with a sinking feeling. If Inuyasha landed a serious attack, Sesshoumaru might actually lose.

They were all running out of time.

Kagome made the decision to test her first theory. Tessaiga. She searched for the energy of the sword from her position at the forest's edge. It was laid against a tree several yards away. She snapped her staff to her back with the bow and quiver, and made a dash for the sword. Plucking it from under the tree without stopping, she pivoted and ran closer to the two warring brothers. Removing Tessaiga from its sheath, Kagome stabbed the fang into the ground several yards from the tree line. Neither one of the inu noticed her movements or presence.

A second later they would.

Kagome called her energies from deep within and a crackling, pale blue sphere exploded around her as she cast both arms out and away from her body. Bringing both hands forward, the miko separated the barrier from her body and moved it toward Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru felt the energy keenly, raising the hair on the back of his neck, but kept Bakusaiga trained on the hanyou as they fought for dominance on the field, swords clashing and sending sparks flying. Only when the barrier closed in around the hanyou, did he notice what was happening. Inuyasha dropped the sword in his hands in favor of pounding angrily on the barrier around him. Panicked, vermilion eyes immediately darted around, looking for a way out. Finding none, he launched himself against the walls of the sphere, burning flesh on contact and damaging himself further.

Kagome was too focused on her task to notice what he was doing inside. Dragging the barrier and the thrashing Inuyasha with it, she pulled him across the ground toward Tessaiga. The sword began to pulse slowly, tiredly, as he approached. The call of the fang's power grabbed the hanyou's attention and he stopped flailing long enough to see it, recognize its power, and reach for it as the two were brought together again. The effort of keeping the barrier strong enough to withstand him and moving it across the battlefield was immense. Kagome was breathing hard when it came to a stop, waiting for the verdict from the sword. She chanced a brief look at Sesshoumaru who flared his youki given the respite, and healed the gashes on his chest and some on his legs but otherwise made no move to stop or look at her. He simply watched the scene unfold with a stoic and undecipherable gaze.

Inuyasha reached a shaking, blood-soaked hand down to grasp the sword, pulling it free of the ground. Tessaiga pulsed rapidly… faster… and faster… faster still until it sounded like the thrumming of drums in chorus. Kagome's hope faded when the sword did not transform but rather stayed small and thin, looking pitiful in Inuyasha's powerful and deadly hands. As the hum grew to an uncomfortably loud volume, a crack appeared down the length of the blade.

"Nooo!" Kagome yelled brokenly.

The crack grew and forked up and down the blade until finally it shattered it a flash, scattering shards of metal and leaving only a ruined grip in Inuyasha's hand. Seeing the sword destroyed and now useless, Inuyasha released it and let it fall to the ground, roaring his disappointment. With no distraction from his cage of reiki, he threw himself wholly into breaking free. Digging claws at the barrier, it began to splinter. Kagome knew it was over so she dropped the barrier, arms falling heavily to her sides and breathing hard, and Inuyasha sprinted back to Sesshoumaru, eager to defeat his enemy.

"It's not over yet." the miko said quietly, taking a knee to recover for a moment and reaching into her sleeve.

Inuyasha took a long leap and readied to swipe Sesshoumaru with his claws as he landed. Easily sidestepped, the dance began again. Sesshoumaru was parrying claws once more when Kagome's reiki flared again. The feel of her powerful aura flaring distracted the hanyou this time, remembering too recently being burned by the barrier. He turned his head and snarled at the burning energy condensing around the small human near the forest's edge.

Sesshoumaru knew what was happening before Kagome could react.

Inuyasha launched himself towards the woman, claws out, to end her. She was interfering again in his quest for power and had to die. Sesshoumaru was right behind him. If the hanyou was going to distract himself from the fight, the consequences would be his death. Kagome was focused on the infusion of power into the kotodama and failed to notice Inuyasha's rapid, bellowing approach until it was too late. With a burst of speed, Sesshoumaru swept his leg toward the hanyou to stop his assault. Too slow however as Inuyasha jumped skyward instead to come crashing down on the priestess kneeling in the grass. She felt him above her as she nearly finished forcing reiki into the beads and flicked scared, cerulean eyes up to see him bearing down on her with an intent to kill. Sesshoumaru was there first and snatched her arm, hauling her roughly aside to toss her out of the way and against a nearby tree. The beads fell to the ground, useless.

She felt the weapons at her back slam into something hard, stealing the air from her lungs. The force of the impact sent her head whipping back, cracking the back of her skull against the tree and everything went black…

"No… Inuya… sha…"

…

Pain. Throbbing, consuming pain. Behind her head. At her shoulder. Her eyes burned and would not focus. Her limbs were heavy. Her mind was working much too slowly. Where was she? What was happening?

The sound of swords clashing was nearby and loud. Snarls and growls accompanied the ringing of steel. Who was fighting?

It was dark. Not totally. The light was fading. Why was that important? She knew it was…

Kagome tried to sit up. Her right shoulder popped and the sudden feeling of bone grating on bone was excruciating, waking her from mind from its pained and concussed haze. She cried out and gasped. Looking across her shoulder to examine the damage, she used her left arm and shifting hips to compensate, sitting more or less upright against the tree. Her right shoulder was out of socket, bones stacked on one another at odd angles. She wouldn't be able to use it until it was popped back into place.

"Damn it…" she hissed.

Fighting was out. No bow or staff without the use of this arm. Maybe she could wrench it around herself… The throbbing in her head redoubled. Reaching back to assess her head, her hand met the warm, sticky feel of blood. Not enough to cause concern yet but it would have to be washed and healed when this was over. A loud snarl from Inuyasha had Kagome's head whipping up to see the two brothers locked in hand to hand combat, swords forgotten. She watched with wide, teary eyes as Inuyasha began to lose the fight, taking blow after blow from Sesshoumaru.

_'I have to stop them before it's too late!'_

She forced her body upright and leaned heavily on the tree, catching her breath from just the effort of standing. Pushing tired and trembling legs to move her body was slow work but eventually Kagome was taking the first tentative step forward back to the brawling inu.

…

Sesshoumaru could see the futility in swordplay. They were at a stalemate. Given Inuyasha's youki-infused and more powerful strikes but sloppy form, Sesshoumaru recognized he would not defeat him before sundown. The inudaiyoukai had extensive experience in youki manipulation and handling the half-breed with his own two hands might prove to his advantage. He heard the priestess cry out in pain to his right but paid her no mind. If she was incapacitated, all the better.

Forming a whip from his youki, Sesshoumaru lashed out, lashing the hanyou across the chest and legs when his next attack was too slow. Doubling back, Sesshoumaru trapped the hanyou's arms to his sides, wrapping him in the whip's coils, and sprinted forward to land a heavy blow to his head and sending him tumbling across the field. The daiyoukai was on him again in an instant, fist meeting with the empty grass when Inuyasha leapt up from the ground, broke free of his bonds with a roar, and leapt away. Sesshoumaru didn't allow him his respite and followed, clawing and sending powerful legs out to meet empty air as they chased each other around the open field.

"Stop! Please stop!" came a gravelly female voice from yards away. "It's not too late!"

They both paused to see her jogging slowly over. Inuyasha recovered first and lunged for Sesshoumaru, driving a clawed hand into the right side of the daiyoukai's chest and grinning as if he'd won. He had not, however. Sesshoumaru scowled and coughed, spitting blood into Inuyasha's face, but roared his own attack and returned the blow a second later. A clawed hand condensed flatly into a blade glowing with poison and drove itself into the hanyou's chest. Sesshoumaru found the heart of his half-brother in his chest and caged it with his hand before pouring forth his deadly venom.

Inuyasha gasped in pain as the brutality of the move finally broke through the mind-numbing shield of his raging youki. His heart began to stutter as the excessive poison coursed through his body.

"NOOO!" Kagome wailed. "What have you done?!"

She stumbled and cried out as the bones in her shoulder shifted again, new pain flaring to life deeper in the joint. She saw what had happened from across the field and willed her legs to go faster so she could get to him in time. The sun was almost gone now. Only a tiny sliver of red light remained. She would have to work fast. She could for him. She could still save him.

Kagome reached the brothers and knelt down the ground, knees hitting the grass hard, holding her right arm fast to her body with her left. Inuyasha was sputtering and his eyes were wide with pain searching for something to take it away.

"What did you do you to him?!" she yelled up at Sesshoumaru from the ground.

"What I swore I would."

Sesshoumaru merely stood over them both, watching. Cerulean eyes locked on the horizon and saw the last threads of sunlight fade. Inuyasha's aura pulsed and he gasped. Then again. Sesshoumaru stepped back and away from the hanyou, not knowing how his stolen energy would react to leaving its host.

"Gods, no! Please! Not yet!"

Kagome's tears came freely as she tried to call her power into her left hand but it stayed buried, unresponsive. The only response was the throbbing of her head and more pain in her injured shoulder as she fell forward and the impotent hand braced itself on Inuyasha's heaving chest. She sobbed her futility. Suddenly, a shockwave of crimson energy exploded from the hanyou, knocking Kagome backwards several feet and forcing Sesshoumaru to raise his arms and plant his feet in defense. The stolen youki was pouring freely outward from Inuyasha's prone form and he howled its loss, arching his back and writhing on the ground.

Kagome sat up, straining and squinting against the force of the energy pulsing through the field. She surrounded herself in a cloak of her reiki and began to force her way back to her husband. She watched his now visceral energy scorching the earth, killing everything on the ground and underneath it. The youki was binding itself to the land, cursing it with its malice in lieu of anywhere else to go.

_'This isn't right… None of it is. Please don't let this be his legacy.'_

Kagome closed her eyes, gritted her teeth and grunted with the effort of calling more of her energy from its wellspring within her. It was hers to command, she remembered. Not the other way around. She forced it outward with a cry, surrounding the soulless youki killing the land and herding it back into itself around Inuyasha's still body. With a quick jerk of her left arm, the miko funneled it skyward. The bilious, volcanic column of energy roared into the sky, and lightning crackled and wove through the clouds. It was over in a second and Kagome panted and shook with the effort it had taken but she had stopped him from cursing the valley and the surrounding forest. She could still heal Inuyasha if she could make it back to him. The first rumble of thunder sounded above and the sky gathered in preparation for the storm now building above them.

Kagome heard a ragged cough from the grass and sad, ocean eyes snapped up to find the collapsed red mass in the shallow grass several yards away. Sesshoumaru was kneeling down next to him with a calm look on his face. To Kagome's surprise he stood and began to remove his shredded haori. Laying it over Inuyasha, he kneeled again, nodding every few seconds and speaking lowly. She could not hear but understood they were talking to one another. Inuyasha wasn't sitting up and Sesshoumaru's eyes raised and found hers across the field. Cold, citrine orbs were beckoning her forward and when she didn't move, he stood and spoke.

"Come, miko."

Her boots suddenly rooted themselves to the ground. She shook her head, tears pooling in her eyes.

_'I can't…'_

Sesshoumaru nodded.

"Come."

Unconsciousness clawed at her mind and Kagome found herself swaying toward the ground as her heart pounded in her ears. This was her nightmare come true. He was dying. Months of hopeful training and preparation all wasted. Time she could have spent with him instead. Time they could have had together. Instead she had stupidly, uselessly, wasted it trying to prevent this exact moment from happening. But she couldn't waste time now. He didn't have much left and she was wasting that, too, slumping here in the grass.

Reaching out with her left arm as a brace, she raised one knee and bent her muscles to her will, finally getting upright. Tears rolled down her cheeks through grime and sweat. She forced one foot in front of the other until she was close enough to see him. Sesshoumaru rose and walked away, sensing his intrusion on what he knew to be their last moments together.

After weeks of travel and months of separation, Kagome finally saw him. She smiled gently despite the circumstances. He had always been handsome as a human. His eyes were closed and blood spattered his face and neck. His breathing was shallow. Long black hair hid most of the grime he had accumulated in the past month but it was stuck together at odd angles around his head. Sesshoumaru's haori was covering his chest but she could see the blood already soaking through it over his heart and his legs. She kneeled down next to him and gently cupped his right cheek, stroking it with her thumb and leaving a smeared trail of blood.

"Hold on… I'll have this healed before you know it." Kagome tried to smile comfortingly as her shaking left hand reached out to touch him for the first time in so long.

He groaned and languidly opened deep mahogany eyes to meet hers.

"Kagome…"

"Shh, I'm here. I'm gonna heal this so you and I can go home, okay?" A choked sob followed and she pulled her hand away to place it over his chest, calling her power.

"No- Kagome… Don't…"

"I have to. You won't get better if I don't, idiot." she said calmly, forcing a laugh for his sake. Her hand glowed a gentle blue and she focused on his wound again.

A warm, trembling hand weakly grabbed her wrist and she sobbed once, shaking her head and closing her eyes.

"Please don't stop me. Don't do this."

"It's okay… Kagome. It's okay."

Her eyes hardened and found his. "It's not okay! None of this is okay! How can you just give up?! I don't want to lose you! Please- please don't leave me here alone!"

"C'mere." He raised his forearm from the ground in invitation, asking her lie down next to him.

"No. No, I can't work from there." she said mechanically. "I have to fix this." She sounded ridiculous even to herself.

"You can't. Not this time. Please?"

"Please? Please what? Please let you die? Like hell. I know you're hurt but I can't just sit here and do nothing! You're running out of time, dammit!"

"Then c'mere. It's getting-" He coughed and the sound was filled with the raspy and wet sounds of his failing lungs. "It's getting cold."

"I can't. I love you and I can't. Please just let me. Let me try. I'll never be able to live with myself if I don't **do something**."

He nodded weakly and closed his eyes. She didn't waste a second. Calling her power, bending it to her will, she forced it into her hand. She saw the poison coursing through him, filling his chest. So much. The jagged gashes in his belly and the sword and whip lashes cut deeply across his thighs. He was bleeding out from his chest to his legs beneath the haori and he knew it. Sesshoumaru knew it. He had made sure of it.

His heart was wilting in his chest under the poison's influence. She tried to bolster that first, forcing her energy to obey and calling it from deeper within. Using her reiki was making her so tired but the warmth slipped easily from her hands into his failing body. It felt different. Golden. That was unusual. She could heal him if she could keep this up… But she was getting so tired… Just a little more…

"Stop!" Sesshoumaru barked from somewhere above her. "Miko, enough!"

A cold, clawed hand grabbed her own and yanked it away.

"Why- why did you stop me?! It was working!"

He shook his head and looked back over at Inuyasha. Kagome followed his gaze. It wasn't working. He was pale and breathing faster. Sweat beaded on his forehead and his face was flushed. He opened his eyes and looked sadly up at her.

"Cuh- C'mere." He raised a shaking arm again to beckon her down.

She broke and gave up to lie down in the blood-soaked grass with him.

"I couldn't do it. I tried. It isn't working. I'm so- I'm so- so sorry, Inuyasha!"

Her sobs broke free and didn't stop. She cried loudly and openly, hand fisting itself in his haori as she laid next to him. The comfort of even his cooling and bloody shoulder was enough. She nuzzled her head into his neck and felt him lean over to touch her too. Her hand reached across his body and took his right hand in her left. She felt the slick and sticky feeling of the old blood there but didn't flinch, threading her fingers through his.

"Kagome- don't- don't blame him. It's- it's all right." He swallowed and the sound was heavy next to her head.

"It's okay. I'm here. And I love you." she cooed beside him.

Kagome gave up fighting. Inuyasha had. She didn't want to talk about Sesshoumaru. She wanted to remind her husband why she was here and that he was loved. That she wanted to hold him. That he was still worthy of her love and being here in her arms, no matter what he had done. No matter what he decided or what happened next.

"I love you…" She felt her consciousness slipping.

"Kagome, I- I love- I-" He coughed again and she felt him shudder all over, spasming.

"It's okay. I know. It's okay. I'm here. I'll always be here."

His hand squeezed hers and his human eyes closed slowly. Exhausted, blue eyes closed just after his and they slept.

…

Slowly, Inuyasha's body began to fade but the priestess remained asleep. Exhaustion, injury, pain, and the use of her own life force to try to save him had beyond consumed her. She succumbed to sleep nestled into the chest of her husband. Sesshoumaru watched her tears continue to fall against his offered haori even then. He thought that maybe she knew. She knew what would await her when she woke and her mind was mercifully letting her sleep as Inuyasha died in her arms.

Hours passed and the night wore on and still the miko slept. Sesshoumaru had to make a decision.

Mercifully, a familiar youki entered the sky over the field. The inudaiyoukai pulsed his own energy in acceptance and shortly after, Ren landed in the field next to his Lord.

"My Lord, what has happened? We saw the youki part the sky but your honorable mother bid me not to come for hours." Ren asked, truly concerned and taking the bloody and unusual scene in. "Inuyasha… Is he dead?"

"The hanyou, Inuyasha, second son of the Inu no Taisho, is dead." Sesshoumaru stated finally. He was looking solemnly at the body laying before him. "He died with honor in battle. He shall be mourned privately by those closest to him. Ren, it is now your duty to take the miko back to the Palace with you and have Kenshin address her injuries. Then take Ah-Un and gather the silks from the Palace to wrap him for the journey. I will escort his body home to Edo and help make the necessary arrangements with his pack. Let no one interfere, Ren." His command left no room for response or question.

"It will be done as you say, my Lord. I shall return shortly." Ren bowed lowly and moved over the sleeping priestess. Ren examined her for a moment for serious injury and then carefully and gently lifted her onto his back, holding her securely with his one arm. She did not stir or wake. He shifted her one more time and then looked over to Sesshoumaru. Ren bowed and then took off into the rumbling darkness, outlined by a flash of lightning as he retreated back to the West.

Sadness clenched the captain's heart as he left. The pup had not deserved his end. He was not to blame. Sesshoumaru would have many questions to answer when he finally returned to the West.

…

Sesshoumaru walked away and deeper into the grassy field. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The death of his half-brother was having more of an effect on him than he anticipated. He raised his shaking right hand into view and cursed the blood already drying on it. He should not have been forced into this. This should not have been his duty. He felt like a petulant child again for the first time in centuries, cursing his lot in life and his role in ending matters that were not of his making.

There was no doubt in his mind that this was the right course of action. Even should they have found a cure of a sort, there was no guarantee it would last. Sesshoumaru would be honor bound to make sure the hanyou never relapsed. Inuyasha would live with a shadow hanging over him forever as he repaid the debts he had accumulated in his frenzied state. Kagome would live as a martyr to stay beside him and they would never know peace. Lives would continue to be destroyed around him.

But another of his species was dead. No, that was not the reason for this sadness, he corrected himself. The only other offspring of his great father. The only other being who intimately knew anything about their shared history. They had not had a relationship Sesshoumaru was proud of but perhaps he had assumed that somewhere in their long lives, it might have changed. Now that would never be. Could never be. And the burden of it was laid at his feet.

Sometime later, Ren returned with the dragon and helped Sesshoumaru wrap Inuyasha in the burial raiment of his house. It was a statement to all who would hear of the tale in the coming days that the hanyou was honored at least in the West, despite his misdeeds. His memory would not be tainted by rumors of dishonor. As they neared his head, Sesshoumaru removed his ruined haori from the body and knelt beside Inuyasha on the ground. Ren stepped away and back to the dragon for a moment, sensing his intrusion.

_'All I have promised I will do. The miko is safe and shall remain so. Edo will be kept free of conflict in the coming centuries. The kit will be brought here to be with her for as long as she recovers. Rest well in the knowledge you die with honor and your pack is provided for at your request… little brother.'_

To seal his promises, he bent forward and pressed his lips to the brow of his lifeless half-brother.

...

**Author's Note:** I hated writing this, actually. This chapter has been fighting me for a month. This work is practice for me and I need to work on writing not just those things that are fun and easy but also the heavier emotions. When I chose this path, I knew this chapter would be the turning point. It's hard to see how it will all work out right now, I know, but I have a plan. I hope you appreciate the way it's written and that it conveys the turmoil the two main characters are facing at this moment. I'd love to hear what you genuinely think so far, if you're motivated. Thanks for reading, as always.


	15. Chapter 15 - Sad People Hypnotize

**Author's Note**: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled **MA** per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 15 - Sad People Hypnotize**

Sesshoumaru flew through the night over fields and forests, not caring who or what saw his true form soaring close to the ground. He let his nose guide him through the wilderness towards the village because his mind was far away.

He thought of his father and mother and their early days together when he was a pup. He thought of his adolescence and his revelation that violence was an inextricable fact of the world. He thought of the days and years of training himself to be precise and powerful in the application of his many unique skills. He remembered when his father left the West in favor of his new human dalliance and the uproar it caused in his mother and his house. He remembered the night his father died and the sound of a crying babe being stolen away into the woods as he watched, unmoving.

Sesshoumaru remembered all of those things and felt the heavy burden of the body in his paw begin to pull him downward, growing numb with the psychological weight of it. Unseeing eyes unfocused on the world for a moment and only the feeling of the holy aura beckoning him downward to Edo seized his attention and forced him to return to the waking world.

…

"What is Sesshoumaru doing here so late?" Sango asked as she and her husband stepped quietly out into the road. The inudaiyoukai's massive form was easy to recognize even in the pitch black of the night and his unshielded aura had made Miroku shudder as they finished cleaning up the mess of the day.

"I do not know but I am afraid for the worst. Is Shippou still asleep?" Miroku asked, tying his yukata tightly closed.

"I think so. I'll check on him again." Sango left and went back inside to make sure the little kit was asleep. He had worn her own children out so he was sure to be tired.

"Make sure he is asleep and not following us. This may be a conversation best left 'til morning."

In fact, Miroku was fairly certain it was. Sango nodded. Daiyoukai don't show up silently in the middle of the night for no reason but especially not this one.

Sesshoumaru landed in the field nearby and shifted forms, and his burden, to walk slowly down the hill. Miroku met him at the road's edge and took note of the wrapped body in his arms. He also took note of the dried cascade of blood on Sesshoumaru's shredded white kosode and the wide tears in his hakama. The thin armor he usually wore was bunched up over one shoulder and hanging broken. The fight must have been a serious one.

"Who have you brought home to rest, Sesshoumaru-sama?" the monk asked solemnly, intensely aware of his hammering and fearful heart.

"Inuyasha, second son of the Inu no Taisho, is brought home to his pack and his eternal rest."

Miroku nodded and let the first few silent tears roll down his jaw.

"Forgive me. I have feared this moment. Now that it is here, I dread what comes after even more. Where is Kagome-sama? Did she find him? She is not lying with him, is she?" he asked, his voice heavy with emotion.

"She is not." Miroku sighed openly with relief and rested his hands on his knees for a moment. "She has been taken to the West to recover from her injuries. In the end, she could not save him though her efforts were valiant and without regard for her own health or safety."

Miroku straightened and let a thick chuckle slip out. "Ah, Kagome. Thank the gods. But she will recover?"

"She will. I will have her brought here when she is well. The damage was not severe."

"A small mercy." Miroku let his eyes wander over the burial silks in Sesshoumaru's arms. "Would you aid me in carrying Inuyasha's body to the shrine? We will bury him there with those he knew in life."

"Very well."

Miroku turned and started walking away and down the road. His collar was dotted with the tears he shed quietly on the way and when they passed Miroku and Sango's home, she came out to meet them and asked the same questions. Learning of Inuyasha's fate was a blow and the choked sob that erupted startled her into covering her mouth so as not to wake the children. Sesshoumaru kept walking past them with the singular purpose of laying his half-brother near his final resting place. The body in his weary arms was becoming much too heavy.

This was the last time they would see each other in this life. Ending his quest to bring the hanyou to justice had been a happy goal at one time. Sesshoumaru felt only sorrow now, not that he would allow anyone else to know. There was much to be done before he could make sense of his emotions regarding his brother.

After the long climb to the shrine, Miroku bid Sesshoumaru to lay Inuyasha to rest on a long table at the back of the shrine. The monk lit incense and said a prayer to aid his friend's travel to the next world, adding his own well-wishes and love for his brother in arms.

Sesshoumaru waited patiently in the pitch darkness of the night atop the hill. He did not want to linger here. This place smelled of humans and decay. He was eager to collect the kitsune child and begone. Sesshoumaru did not want to return to the West either. His guests had been waiting for three days for his arrival and Kikuko would be seething that he had not returned sooner. But with the kit in tow, he would **have** to go straight back. He had made a vow.

When Miroku returned to the shrine yard, Sesshoumaru was standing in the center of it, gazing up at the empty, moonless sky.

_'Perhaps this was difficult for him, as well.'_ Miroku wondered sadly.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, I thank you for bringing him home. And for caring for Kagome-sama. I'll be anxious to see her again when she is well."

"Inuyasha knew this, as well, and has asked me to bring the kitsune child back to the West to be with her."

Miroku smiled the knowing smile of a friend. "Of course he did. Very well. Let us go back to my house and we will collect him. Unless you would like to stay until morning when he wakes?"

"No. It is best that I return to the West at once. There is much to explain." He left the statement as it was, hoping the monk would not prod him further.

"I imagine so. Inuyasha will be cared for most respectfully, I assure you." He swallowed thickly again. "Shall we?" Miroku gestured back down the hill.

Sesshoumaru nodded silently and leapt from the hill and soared over the town to land outside the small house. Miroku took each heavy step down the hill and away from the shrine. Kaede would be just as shocked tomorrow when he would be forced to live this moment all over again. The monk had to stop and brace himself on the torii arch at the bottom of the hill. A few more tears fell to the ground silently.

It was a heavy loss. Miroku had never known a closer friend or more capable comrade. Inuyasha had been honorable and brave, and cared deeply for those around him. Miroku would do his part to make sure his memory was kept that way, and straightened his back and resumed walking home. He wouldn't press Sesshoumaru for more information about what had happened tonight. Kagome would know and when some time had passed, it might help her to tell the story.

"…and I am so sorry for your loss, Sesshoumaru-sama. Inuyasha was brave and a good friend. He will be remembered well in our hearts, no matter how his life ended."

Miroku heard Sango echo his thoughts as he approached the house. He smiled sadly when she met his eyes. It would be a long day tomorrow for them both.

"Agreed, my love. But for tonight, Sesshoumaru is required to take Shippou to Kagome in the West. Shall I go fetch him?"

"What?" Sango questioned, then reasoned he was to be with Kagome. Good. They would need each other. "No, that's all right. Let me. He'll be confused and it will give me a chance to tell him goodbye. Before that, however, can I offer you a clean kosode? That one is ruined and Shippou will know why when he sees you."

Sesshoumaru looked down at the garment. The slayer was right. He nodded to her, appreciating her foresight. He would not explain to the kit but allow the priestess to do so. Freeing himself of the blood would calm him somewhat. There was nothing to be done about his hakama but he had more pressing matters to worry about than the boy's questions.

Sango's eyes shone with fresh tears as she ducked into the house. She brought a clean, white kosode out for him to change into and left the rest to Miroku, who waited for the daiyoukai to shed the bloody robe before removing it from sight to the rear of the house.

Sango returned a few minutes later with a drowsy fox kit in her arms and handed a small pack to Miroku with Shippou's things before patting his sleepy head to wake him again.

"Shippou? Sesshoumaru is here to take you to Kagome. I want you to be good for him on the way, all right?"

"Hmm?" Tiny clawed hands rubbed his eyes and he looked up sleepily at Sango. "Sessh'maru's here? Where's Momma?"

"She is in the West waiting for you, kit. Come." the daiyoukai rumbled.

"Why's she there? And why is Sesshoumaru here? Gah!" Shippou squeaked when Sango held him out for Miroku who hugged him and craned his neck so they could talk.

"She has been injured and will explain everything when you arrive. Be good for her and for Sesshoumaru, and when she is well, you will return here. Do you understand?" Miroku patted his head affectionately.

He nodded meekly and looked over to Sesshoumaru from under a nervously crinkled brow.

"Come, kit."

Sesshoumaru held out a clawed hand and Shippou was unsure what to do. Just grab Sesshoumaru? Not likely. He reached out a tentative hand to the daiyoukai and smelled distinctly of fear and anxiety. The daiyoukai wrapped a large hand around the kit's middle, and lifted him up and onto his shoulder. When Shippou grabbed the collar of Sesshoumaru's kosode, he waited for retribution but none came. He nodded to Miroku, accepted his pack, and settled his small body there, eyes fluttering here and there and trying not to appear scared.

"I take my leave and give you my thanks." He bowed his head slightly and readied to vault from the ground.

After he took off, they could hear the startled yell of Shippou and hoped he would make it there unscathed. But that was nothing to the shocked faces of the two humans below at hearing Sesshoumaru's gratitude.

"Oh Sango, I cannot imagine life now without Inuyasha." Miroku brought her close and held her tightly. He felt her shoulders begin to shake in his embrace. "We must be ready to help Kagome when she returns." He felt Sango nod beneath his chin.

When Miroku loosened his hold, he bent down to capture her lips in a tender kiss. He hoped it would be many, many years before he would know the sadness Kagome would face in the coming days. Love was both the greatest joy and keenest pain.

…

After leaping from the ground, Sesshoumaru cast his eyes westward and began to ready himself for the conversations ahead. He would deal with his grief privately and there was much to be done to distract him until then. Before he could consider much, however, the kit began to slip from his shoulder and cried out. Snatching him from the air, Sesshoumaru held him up by the scruff as Shippou blinked with wide eyes and offered a nervous, fanged grin. The daiyoukai considered how best to carry the child. Shippou was clearly terrified and would not disobey. Good. He could more easily hold the kit in the crook of one arm as Rin had sat during their last trip. Mind made up, Sesshoumaru tucked him into his left elbow and resumed speeding towards the West in silence.

Some time into the journey, Shippou fell asleep as the hours of nervousness and the long night wore on. He was young and not yet a nocturnal creature. That would change as he grew, however, and the miko would have her hands full. Shippou snuggled deeper into his arm and Sesshoumaru considered him. There were kitsune in the Western palace so he was familiar with them but none had young this small, or any litters at all now that he thought about it. Much like Rin, this child would be very much alone at the Palace. Perhaps they could entertain each other as the priestess healed…

The priestess. She was at this moment in his home. A human. Being tended by daiyoukai. Absurd. When Inuyasha made the request, it seemed simple and honorable and he agreed without fully considering that she could be there for weeks. Humans healed so slowly, in fact, it might be months before she could travel again. But he had made a vow and it would be honored. He considered that his mother might be further enraged by her presence and considered that a benefit.

He could avoid the priestess easily enough, and they had no reason to spend further time together now that Inuyasha was… dead. He swallowed as the word crossed his mind. It was still a raw feeling. He shook it away. She might be required to bring testimony to the other Lords regarding Inuyasha's death but otherwise, she could recover in the guest wing far away and not underfoot.

…

Inside the Western Palace infirmary, Kenshin had just about had it with all of the nosy visitors.

"No, you may not see her! She is recovering and not a spectacle to be gawked at. I am certain you all have other work to attend to!" he almost yelled at the newest gaggle of servants craning their necks through the door of the infirmary.

Walking back around the bed to his newest patient, he readied needle and thread again with his back to the door. The gash at the back of her head was larger than he had realized and required several more stitches. Running out of silk thread a few minutes ago and going back to his supply cabinet had given a new crop of onlookers the chance to bombard him with questions about the unconscious miko.

"Foolish, gossipy idiots…" he trailed off as they dispersed, readying his hands again and leaning back down over the young priestess's bloodied and swollen injury.

He had only ever used needle and thread to stitch pups back together who had no concept yet of healing themselves. Over time, they would have healed without intervention but parents were oddly touchy about blood coating a small child. Just as his hands moved forward to place the first stitch again…

"And how fares the patient, Kenshin?"

"Gods be damned! Can't you idiots leave me alone long enough to- Oh, Ren it's you." Recognition lit the face of the healer and Ren's shocked stare from the doorway made Kenshin smile.

"Pfft! Shall I leave? Clearly you are in no mood to entertain." Ren laughed and went around to the other side of the table to see the miko's face.

"I am sorry but I have been entertaining annoyances for the better part of the night. Her arm is set now, and the claw marks bandaged, but the damage to her head is severe. It's a wonder she isn't dead."

Ren watched, entranced, as Kenshin placed the last several stitches quickly and efficiently.

"Who knew you were such a good human physician?"

"Hn. Her injuries are no different than ours, brother, but she lacks the necessary skills to heal them when she's unconscious and near dead. She is a miko, correct?" Ren nodded. "Then she can heal herself when she wakes but you know too well the damage blood loss can cause." He punctuated the statement by holding up a blood-soaked rag.

"Indeed, I do. Thank you for reminding me." Ren's eyes darkened and he sat down heavily in the chair across from the table.

"I am sorry. That was thoughtless." Kenshin looked over Kagome at Ren to apologize.

"No, no. I know. Perhaps she will know a way to fix this. Inuyasha-sama had some incredible tales to tell about her abilities." Ren said solemnly.

"Perhaps. There. Done. Now all we can do is wait until she wakes." He wiped his hands and walked back to his shelves to put things away.

"And I hope she does. I have so many questions, I don't know where to begin!" Ren brightened and leaned forward in his chair to inspect her.

Kagome's face was relaxed and peaceful as she slept away on her left side. The damaged right shoulder was bound and her arm with it. She had been washed and changed into a white yukata. Her breathing was deep and even. Ren wondered how a human woman had come to love a hanyou, train as a priestess, and battle for their lives and the fate of the island as many times as Inuyasha had recounted. She must be extraordinary. He had never heard of such a human before, miko or otherwise.

"Begin with delicacy, brother. She has lost her Mate and will not be in any mood to answer your many invasive questions." Kenshin threw over his shoulder. "We cannot know her pain."

"You sound as if you wish you did. Do you, Kenshin? Is my little brother pining for a Mate of his own?" Ren asked mischievously.

Kenshin hurriedly turned away. "N- Not at this moment, no. In the future, it would be nice to care so much for another that you could overcome any trial. Like she has. Until today anyhow." he added sadly.

"You are only fueling my list of questions! Come, let's make some tea and wait for her to awaken. Ah!" Silver hair fell backward around his slim shoulders as he stared upward. "And Sesshoumaru-sama has returned. This night gets better and better!" Ren grinned fully, excited now for the coming days.

Kenshin only rolled his twinkling, magenta eyes as Ren hauled him over to the tiny stove in the infirmary.

…

Sesshoumaru landed in the Palace courtyard and settled his mind. First, to take the kit to his mother.

He found the hallways bustling with activity. Servants darting here and there. Trays of tea and food being moved about to his many guests, he assumed. He heard the excited murmuring about the priestess and her presence in the Palace. His angular jaw clenched in frustration. She was already disrupting his household and was most likely not conscious yet. How much more trouble would she be in the coming days?

Sesshoumaru found the miko in the infirmary without any problem. The healer, Kenshin, was waiting to receive him.

"Welcome, my Lord. I am glad to see you have returned."

"Hm. Is she still alive?" He wasn't sure how he hoped the younger inu to answer.

"She is. Her injuries were more severe than I realized but she is sleeping peacefully now."

"Good. Prepare a bed beside her. I have brought her son to stay here while she recovers. I leave him in your charge until she wakes. Inform me immediately when she does."

Sesshoumaru waited for Kenshin to move another bed beside the priestess and then laid the exhausted kit down beside her. Shippou found her immediately and snuggled deep into her warmth. She moved slightly and tucked him in with her free arm. They held each other close. Sesshoumaru did not envy them their mutual sorrow in the morning but he had his own and much more to do besides.

"Excuse me, my Lord, but her son? He is a kitsune, unless my senses are failing me." Ren inquired, rounding the screen at the end of Kagome's bed.

"He is. Inform me when she wakes." He barked shortly and left without another word.

Ren waited until Sesshoumaru was far enough away to turn excited green eyes back to Kenshin.

"By the kami, what a story this must be! The human miko who married a hanyou, has a fox kit for a son, and is the guest of the Lord of the West. Inuyasha-sama mentioned a kitsune when we met that was a part of the party that defeated Naraku but I never imagined they adopted him." Ren placed his hand on his forehead.

"You seem much too excited now, Ren. You are rejoicing but all I hear is tragedy around this woman. That husband you met is gone, and if she adopted the kit then his parents are most likely gone too. She came to Sesshoumaru-sama because she was near death, not for a pleasurable visit. Have a care, will you?"

"You sound like mother when you do that." Ren put his right hand on his hip and frowned.

…

Sesshoumaru made it to his room unaccosted by flaring his youki angrily through the hallways. Gasps and shudders could be heard around him as he stalked past but he did not care. It had been days since he had bathed or changed and he intended to do both as soon as possible and without interference. The ruined and borrowed clothing he still wore was a constant reminder of the battle and the scent of the blood-soaked hanyou clung to him.

Mercifully, no one dared to bother the inudaiyoukai as he stripped himself the offending clothing and changed into a clean, white yukata of his own. He took a few extra seconds to absorb the empty spot where Tessaiga briefly laid then placed his own sword away in its place, and strode to the bath attached to his rooms. The familiar female deer youkai preparing the tub froze, yelped, and backed away hastily when Sesshoumaru began to growl his frustration. When he heard her close his bedroom doors, he allowed his posture to relax.

The simple, dark wood-paneled bathing room was for his own private use and he let the white yukata fall to the floor and stepped forward to the recessed, round tub. Steam rose and wove around the room, infused with the scents of cypress and lavender, his personal preference.

Sesshoumaru stepped slowly into the tub and savored the warmth of the water as it caressed his weary muscles. The daiyoukai submerged himself from the neck down and allowed his long hair to float freely around in the water. Resting the back of his head heavily on the lip of the tub, golden eyes stared blankly at the paneled ceiling. After a few minutes, he submerged himself fully underwater in the deep tub and closed his eyes, blocking all input from his overdeveloped senses and allowing himself a moment of freedom. The small self-indulgence did wonders to relieve some of the mental tension that had been building over the last several days, culminating in the battle with Inuyasha.

The feeling of once again being cleaned of grime and the scents of battle was a welcome one. His mind cleared of its guilt-ridden fog, he stood and used his claws to brush his hair back and away from his face. One step took him back to the edge of the tub and the dripping inudaiyoukai sat on the submerged bench on the other side. White hair hung heavily behind him and floated in silvery tendrils on the surface of the water. Wintry bangs stuck to his forehead, tiny droplets clinging to his lashes and then trickling down pale and striped cheeks. He settled in to scrub every inch of perfect skin just to be sure all evidence of the fight was removed.

Just as weapons need attention and maintenance, so too does the body. Bathing like this was one of the joys of walking on two legs instead of four. The space required to bathe was much smaller and the warmth of the bath was an indulgence as opposed to the icy cold of the rivers and lakes large enough to accommodate his true form. Lathering soap in his hands, he worked through the mass of his long silver hair carefully. The fight had left more than dirt behind.

When Sesshoumaru finally finished, it was almost morning but no one would wake him from the few hours of sleep he required. He found a navy sleeping yukata and wrapped himself loosely before lying down on the futon in the adjacent room and falling deep asleep for the first time in days.

…

The early morning bustling in the Palace always woke her up: footfalls in the hallways outside, talking in the courtyard outside her room, and the opening and closing of doors up and down the long hallway. Sitting up slowly, the groggy young woman stretched her back and arms upward with a wide yawn. Rin rubbed her sleepy eyes and took a look around.

Not much was different today. Again. It would be another day of lessons and protocol and avoiding making trouble. She sighed. This was not what she had in mind when Sesshoumaru retrieved her from the village. It had only been a handful of days but this was beyond boring. The young woman would have preferred the long days in late summer making herbal pastes for Kaede to this. At least there, she could go outside without being gawked at or talked about.

"Good morning, Rin." came a deep voice through the screen into the next room.

Her heart leapt in her chest and she stared at the door. He was home?

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" she questioned hopefully.

"Hm. Come, eat."

It was him! She got up from the futon in a flurry and yanked the tie of her bright yellow yukata closed while walking quickly into the next room. Her smile split even wider as she caught sight of him sitting at the low table in the morning light, safe and home. Rin stifled the impulse to hug him and settled for bouncing on the balls of her feet and clasping her hands together. A breakfast was spread out before him but she was sure it was for her benefit. He never really ate food like she did.

"Oh, Sesshoumaru-sama! I missed you so much!" Small hands clasped at her chest and her smile was bright and genuine as she knelt at the table with him. It warmed him to see her safe and happy.

"Have you been well? Minding your tutors?" He sipped tea from a delicate black cup and peered over it at her, taking her in.

"Of course. I did not want you to get bad reports when you returned home." She said smiling, serving herself tea as well as she stared at him.

He nodded and gestured to the food. "Eat. We have much to discuss."

"Oh. Are you leaving again?" she asked sadly.

"No, I am not." He allowed a corner of his mouth to turn up at her innocent but hopeful tone.

She was truly happy just to be near him. She smiled again and ate with gusto for the first time since arriving. Her father was home.

…

Sometime that same afternoon, Kagome was still sleeping heavily in the infirmary. Her eyes darted about beneath her eyelids and she began to make small whimpering noises and shuffled beneath the heavy quilt. Kenshin stopped what he was doing across the room and went to examine her.

She was breathing rapidly and her face was scrunched as if in pain. Tears dripped from her eyes down across her nose and fell onto the futon. He laid a hand to her head but she felt cool. Her head twitched back and forth occasionally and Kenshin realized she must be dreaming. Whatever she saw was not pleasant and her moans of sadness grew until he could make out a few words at a time.

"No… No, I can't… Get away… from him… Help…" she whispered.

Before he could reach over the wake her, she sat upright and her eyes snapped open.

"NO!"

Her aura exploded throughout the infirmary in her panic to fend off the nightmare. Her eyes screwed shut and a pale hand fisted in the bed. Reiki crackled around her body and into the room beyond, blasting shelves and toppling supplies. Kenshin dove for the floor and waited for the reiki to relent. She would have to settle down before he could try to wake her. Her reiki was strong and already singeing his exposed skin.

"Lady Kagome! Can you hear me? Please wake up! Ah!" Kenshin yelled from the floor above the clatter of instruments and the gale of energy.

He tried to swell his own aura to break through but her reiki was much too dense and he fell heavily back to the floor. So much of the infirmary was infused with youki that her unconscious turmoil was creating a whirlwind of his supplies, trapping Kenshin to the floor unless he wanted to risk damage to himself by either the tools or her wild aura.

The kit woke up frightened and darted around on the bed in a panic, grabbing at his mother and shaking her.

"Momma! Kagome! Wake up!" he squeaked at her.

When she didn't respond, he simply clutched her robe and held on, waiting for it to pass and hoping she was okay. Kenshin tried to lift himself from the floor again but was clocked in the head with a flying ceramic dish.

_'Damn it! The only way this could be worse was if Lord-'_

Kenshin's thoughts were cut off when a furious inudaiyoukai snapped the doors wide open and glared first at him and then at the miko.

_'I'm dead…'_ Kenshin lamented.

…

Down the hall, Sesshoumaru was working in his study when he felt her reiki flare wildly. Amber eyes narrowed in the direction of the infirmary and he growled.

_'Idiotic woman! What is she doing?'_

He was up and out the door with an intense scowl on his face before Rin could blink over her own lessons further down the same low table.

_'What upset him so?'_ she wondered and got up to follow.

The door to the infirmary slammed open and Sesshoumaru took in the scene. Kenshin was covering his head on the floor trying to avoid purification, Shippou was clinging to the priestess desperately and trying to shake her with no success, and the woman was trapped in a nightmare and flaring her energy unconsciously in her panic. Shippou lost his grip on her and was tumbled to the end of the bed but gripped the quilt to keep from flying off the bed.

"Ahh! Can you help her?" he yelled over the noise.

Sesshoumaru should have seen this coming. He armored himself in his youki and stormed over, cutting through her power effortlessly. Grabbing her shoulders roughly, he took in her terrified, unseeing eyes and the tears streaming down her face.

"Miko!" he yelled at her over the cacophony around him. "**Miko, wake up**!"

When she didn't respond, he flared his aura further with a growl and slowly suffocated her energy with his own like trapping a flame in a jar. Shippou squeaked and flattened himself to the bed under the raw power of the youki now bearing down on him. Slowly, swirling pink waves of reiki were forced inward by strangling ribbons of green youki and when her aura finally settled within her, she woke with a start and a gasp. Debris all around the room fell to the floor: papers flitting around like feathers in the wind, dishes clattering and breaking, and tools falling heavily to the dark wood below. Before the now-awake miko could make sense of the situation, a sudden sharp pain in her chest stole her breath and she cried out, clutching the fabric over her heart and grimacing.

"Momma! What's wrong? What did you do to her?!" Shippou accused the daiyoukai from the end of the bed.

"Oh kami… it hurts so much…" Kagome gasped.

"You have overexerted yourself. Do not use your reiki again until you are healed. And you!" he rounded on Kenshin, "You were supposed to alert This One the moment she awoke!"

Kenshin rose from the floor and bowed in apology. "I am sorry, my Lord but-"

Sesshoumaru heard a quiet sob and looked back to the miko. Red and swollen cerulean eyes locked onto him and filled with tears once again. Grasping the closest thing to her, Sesshoumaru found himself pulled into a tight hold as she buried her face in his chest and cried. Her thin arms wound around his middle and held on. Her head rested against him and he felt his deep green kosode grow damp as all the emotions left over from her dream spilled onto his clothes. Kenshin gasped and feared for her life but Sesshoumaru only held up a hand to stop him.

He knew what she had dreamt of, of course. Her emotions were not far from his own. He envied her the open display of sorrow. But that did not mean she could use his person as a handkerchief.

"Miko." he tried but she did not move, only quieted. "Miko, release me." he added gently.

Kagome loosened her hold on him but kept her face buried for another few seconds, sniffling and breathing deeply. Finally, she looked up at him. The pain laid bare in her eyes almost stole his breath. He lost the will to remove her but tried something else.

"Your son is here with you. You are not alone." He tipped his head to the right and her gaze followed.

"Oh, Shippou!" Relief lit her face and love warmed her heart as she reached out to welcome him to her arms. Shippou walked across the bed to her and nervously reached up to touch her face.

"Are you okay, Momma?"

"Mm hmm. Sorry about that. Had a bad dream." She covered his own tiny hand with her own and sniffled.

Kagome wiped her face with her sleeve and sniffled some more as Shippou was wrapped up in a warm and firm hug. New tears fell from her eyes realizing she still had to tell him what had happened. Looking around again to get her bearings, she noticed that her head was throbbing but felt clean, she was in clean clothes, and her arm was bandaged and bound. The bones in her shoulder felt like they were back where they should be. But how was Shippou here? And why was the room such a mess? And where was "here" exactly?

Sesshoumaru could see the questions in her eyes.

"Miko, you are at my Palace in the West. You are safe. I brought the child to you last night as you slept."

"Oh. Did I do this?" He nodded. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru, and I'm sorry about your clothes …and the mess."

"This is my domain and I am Lord here. Do not forget." He growled back at her, now staying out of her reach a few feet away.

"Lord Sesshoumaru. Sorry. But thank you. For bringing me here and not leaving me out there to die. An- And for bringing Shippou to me." she smiled hesitantly at him and bowed as best she could from the bed.

"I made a vow." He met her eyes so she understood.

When their conversation finally broke, Kenshin felt the need to explain himself.

"She only just woke up, Sesshoumaru-sama. I am sorry. I did not have a moment to alert you before she… lost control." Kenshin finally explained, brushing some debris from his indigo robes and bowing his apology again.

"He's right, Sesshoumaru. Sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama. It's all my fault. I let my grief get the better of me. It won't happen again… At least, I hope not." The young demon at the end of her bed didn't deserve to be murdered because she was hurt and confused.

"See that it does not. Others here will be less forgiving of your outbursts in the future. We will speak later." Sesshoumaru said sternly. "See that she is fed and remains here for the rest of the day." he added to Kenshin, who nodded as his Lord left the infirmary as quickly as possible.

"Well, that was a mess. Sorry, Shippou. Are you okay?" she asked, running her fingers through his, she now noticed, longer hair.

"Yeah, fine. What happened, Momma? Why are we here?" He sat cross-legged in her lap and stared up at her.

"In a minute, Shippou. I need to apologize to the poor doctor over there." She stroked his head lovingly and looked around him to the patient youkai who must have helped her. "Hi, I'm Kagome, the priestess who ruined your infirmary." She held out an amiable left hand with an apologetic smile.

Kenshin laughed in spite of himself and took her hand.

"I am Kenshin, chief healer at the Palace." He raised her offered hand to his lips. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Kagome-sama."

"Just Kagome. Please. And this is my son, Shippou."

"Hello, Shippou." The kit nodded meekly from Kagome's lap. "If there is anything you need, please let me know. Lord Sesshoumaru requests, as you heard, that you remain here until you can walk and then you will be moved to a guest room to recover fully before returning home. I have stitched the damage to your head, bandaged your wounds, and set your arm but both severe injuries will be exceedingly sore for several days, I am afraid, unless my limited knowledge of humans is incorrect or you can heal them yourself."

"Afraid not. I think Sesshoumaru- _Ugh!** Lord**_ Sesshoumaru is right. I used much too much of my power… yesterday." she sighed. "But thank you for patching me up. I'm sure I'll be better in no time."

"What happened yesterday, Kagome?" Shippou asked innocently. Kagome flinched; her fragile lighthearted mood forgotten.

The priestess looked at Kenshin with pleading eyes. If she was here, and he was in charge, surely he knew.

"I will go and fetch some breakfast for you. Stay here until I return. No one will disturb you." He added quietly.

"Thank you, Kenshin-san." she whispered, her eyes filling with tears again. He nodded before closing the doors quietly behind him

"Momma? What's wrong?" Shippou's small hand rested on her arm and his emerald eyes looked up her concerned.

Kagome took a deep breath. "Well, while you were gone to school this summer, Inuyasha started to have some problems with his youki…"

…

Sesshoumaru was eager to get back to his trade agreements in favor of dealing with the weeping priestess. The sooner she was gone, the better. The other daiyoukai staying here for the council meeting had surely felt her outburst and he would be explaining the miko's presence to several of them throughout the rest of the day.

"Sesshoumaru-sama? Are you okay?" Rin asked, meeting him halfway to the infirmary. She had managed to surprise him as he lamented explaining the miko's presence.

"Yes, Rin. Back to your lessons."

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin agreed happily.

He stalked back down the long hallway to his study, watching Rin skip ahead and curiously look back down the hall before walking in, wondering who was down there that had made so much noise.

"You may go visit the miko later, Rin."

"Miko, Sesshoumaru-sama? Kaede-sama? Or the serious one?"

"No, the one who saved your life."

"Oh! Kagome-sama! But why is she here?"

"Later, Rin. Back to your lessons for now."

"Yes, milord!"

She immediately settled back down to study as he had left her before the incident with the priestess. Her tiny hands were preparing brush and ink next to the parchment already laid out. Her tongue was poking out just slightly as she examined the scroll with the next character to practice. He stopped to watch her when she looked inquisitively back up at him. Nodding for her to continue, she looked back down and let the brush ghost over the parchment several times. He saw the obvious flaws in her technique but she was earnestly trying and it pleased him.

"There! Done!" she exclaimed.

"Keep practicing, Rin. There is room for improvement."

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama!" And she went back to her writing.

Rin scented of happiness and contentment now that they were back together. She was a calming boon to his senses in the midst of the chaos of the meeting and the miko's presence.

The study was a shelter in itself. His desk was wide and low and Rin was taking up only a small corner for her daily calligraphy practice at the moment. The heirloom table was made to seat ten, and had on several occasions for informal meetings and studies of one kind or another. The room sat at the opposite end of the hallway from the infirmary and occupied a large corner at the junction of the family rooms and the guest rooms. It was right in the middle of everything but reserved almost exclusively for his private use.

Beyond the large desk were two smaller ones for the tutors and Rin to use when her lessons were held here without him. He had provided them with the intention for her to remain here the last time but when she did not, he had merely left them unused. Beyond those were six tall shelves packed with scrolls and stacked manuscripts.

His ward was working again and now he should be, as well. Missives to the human lords needed to be drafted and sent out now that his patrols were on hold until the council meeting was finished. Winter was coming soon and the trade agreements would need to be solidified and expedited. The humans were troublesome but occupying vast stretches of territory. Now that they had excess crops to trade, Sesshoumaru would gladly do so. Basic goods and food from their lands could be traded for the finer things his well-established craftsmen and tradespeople could produce. Humans were ambitious and impatient and he could capitalize on that for the time being. Sesshoumaru sat down and gathered his parchment and personal writing effects and drafted the first letter.

As an added bonus, the letters would keep him out of the way of the many visitors and prospective Mates he was sure his mother had arranged, unless his nose was deceiving him as he walked through the hallways. Females from their noble families, daughters, and distant relations all brought here to be paraded up and down the Palace halls to entice him. Kikuko must have visited them on her own to ensure their cooperation. This meeting, in her mind, was probably nothing more than an opportunity to visit with old friends and trot out the prospective Mates for him to peruse. Surely, he had many more years before he would acquiesce to her meddling but that would not stop her from trying, he knew.

Annoying, troublesome woman.

The study doors were thrown open and a very flustered Kikuko stood there with a fan closed tightly in one hand but shaking it threateningly at him. Right on time.

"Sesshoumaru! You brought that miko here and now look! She's threatening the Palace! What will you do?" Kikuko accused, kneeling next to him in her stunningly red kimono.

"She has been dealt with." he rumbled, not looking up at her.

"Dealt with? She is dead then?" Kikuko asked hopefully and Rin gasped.

"No. She is recovering. Not to be killed." He rose and tried to walk around her in a wide circle with the first completed letter in hand. She stepped in his way and glared up at him.

"Sesshoumaru! She cannot stay here! We have a den full of daiyoukai that just felt her attack! You would keep her here against your own mother and at risk to your own kind?"

"Hear me now, mother: The miko stays." Her son leveled an impressive glare her way. "She did not attack but is grieving. All will be explained at the meeting tomorrow. Until then, keep **them**," he pointed an accusatory finger at the guest quarters, "occupied and out of my way. Jaken!" he barked to the rear of the study.

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama!" called the little kappa, running quickly to make it to his Lord from the recesses of the library.

"Only until then, Sesshoumaru, my dear?" She flicked her fan open and waved it playfully. "Very well then, my stubborn pup, but only until tomorrow. After that, you will have a female selected for you, make no mistake. Whether by the council or yourself, it is of little consequence, but it will be done this year, Sesshoumaru. You can escape it no longer. Nine hundred and fifty years old and still a bachelor… Unheard of. At this rate, that human pet you have will be the only child ever running around this Palace again."

He passed the completed letter to Jaken.

"Have this delivered to Utsunomiya and then bring Ryota to report." He barked shortly before sitting back down to complete another letter, ignoring the female inudaiyoukai completely. Jaken bowed and skittered away.

Eventually, she shrugged and left the study, giggling lightly behind her fan at her son's discomfort.

She would not have her way. He would never accept a Mate chosen for him by his mother. Her values were far removed from his own. The council was another matter. The basic function of the daiyoukai council was to distribute power amongst the Lords so that one house could not overtake the others as they had many times in the past. It was a fair system and all voices would be heard equally at the table tomorrow. If they pressed for him to take a Mate, or chose one for him, he risked open war with the other lands by refusing outright. The other three Lords had all taken mates centuries ago and had many children and grandchildren. Perhaps, it was time, he reflected.

The problem wasn't that he didn't want to be tied to a female, exactly. He had recently begun to regret not having a large pack of his own now that there as peace. It was the way youkai had created the Mating Bond that repulsed him. The prospect of a giving another free access to his emotions was appalling. To feed his youki into another being and allow them to feel his presence at all times, sense his carefully guarded feelings. He hated the idea of losing his autonomy. How had the elder, wiser youkai ancestors come the decision that this Old Magic was the best method to continue the species? Surely, youkai as a species have all grown past the need to share their lives so intimately with another.

What female could he possibly tolerate the several millennia of his long life? Who would he trust to bear his children and rule beside him with grace and loyalty? Who would understand his lifelong commitment to duty and honor? What demoness would entertain humans as guests in the future, as he was sure would come to pass?

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin questioned. When he only looked over to her, she continued. "May I go visit Kagome-sama now?"

"Hm. Behave yourself and return to your rooms before supper."

Her smile was his reward for leniency. She grinned and padded down the hallway happily. Who would he allow to be near Rin for the rest of her short life? The Western Lord would not tolerate a female to be cruel to his ward, but who would accept a human child?

The entrance of General Ryota stifled his thoughts of Mates and pack and he went back to work.

"You sent for me, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Tell me of the arrival of the Lords and what has happened in my absence." Sesshoumaru ordered, looking from the doorway to the General and then back down to his work.

"Of course, my Lord." Ryota rumbled.

Ryota sighed and began the long account of the last several days…

...

**Author's Note**: So a little heavy up front but it's a lot less arduous from here on out. Hope you enjoy it and everyone is safe and healthy!


	16. Chapter 16 - Yūgen

**Author's Note**: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled **MA** per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

...

**Reconciliation **

**Chapter 16 - Yūgen**

Sesshoumaru and Ryota sat across from each other discussing events since the inudaiyoukai's departure and sharing a pot of tea.

"Now that you are caught up, my Lord, may I ask how your journey was? Lord Katsurou had an interesting account of your visit. I remember your haste to leave that night but I had hoped it wouldn't turn into a brawl at his gates."

"Cats are known to embellish but the core of the tale is most likely true. He would not listen to reason and had to be made to submit."

"I envy your fight with him. I have never met a tiger daiyoukai in battle. His prowess is legendary." Ryota grinned a wide, mischievous grin at the thought and flexed the bunched muscles of his shoulders.

"He is not to be taken lightly. Neither is his Mate, Haruna. Keep that in mind during the meeting." Sesshoumaru cast over his tea cup.

"Of course. But we are not having the tournament this year, are we? I have not prepared for it given the disarray many of the lands are in following the destruction by Naraku. You left no such instruction so I assumed-"

"No, we will not. The reason you were summoned is so that I can inform you that the Western heir has been defeated. Inuyasha, the second son of my father, is dead and the council will be informed of this tomorrow at the meeting. You are being informed now so if there is upheaval, you are ready."

"How tragic." Ryota's face fell. "I never met the- Inuyasha-sama but I was impressed at his accomplishments, for a hanyou. Are you all right, my Lord?"

Ryota's genuine and friendly concern almost elicited a confession but now was not the time. Sesshoumaru bottled the feelings about his brother away, again, and continued in an even tone.

"Hn. The problem this presents is one of timing. The discussion will, undoubtedly, be raised of succession-"

"Which you have no designs to change? Oh, don't look so shocked. Kikuko-sama has already visited me, too. She wanted my support in forcing your hand." Ryota leaned back and cocked one leg up, hooking his right arm around it. It had taken many years but the two males were comfortable in each other's presence.

"And your reply, General?" Sesshoumaru growled.

"I fear you much more than I fear her, to which she laughed, replied 'For now.' and then turned around and left. Kouji was most amused." Ryota smiled over his own teacup. "I told you about the demonesses she had brought here but they are all very-"

"Vapid? Ornamental? Vain?" Sesshoumaru observed.

"Boring, my Lord. Unless you like that sort of thing. I withhold my opinion on them individually in case she is chosen for you."

"Hn. The other issue is the miko. She will be coming to the meeting tomorrow to aid me in explaining Inuyasha's death. She was his wife but I recognize that a miko present for the daiyoukai council meeting is-"

"Suicide? Forgive me. My Lord, surely, she can submit testimony through you and not be called on to participate! How did you get a human to agree to come? Do the other Lords know?" Ryota's short cropped brown hair brushed his strong jawline as he braced both burly hands on the table and leaned forward in disbelief.

"No, they do not. This human is familiar with our ways and knows the danger. Besides," he sipped his tea, "she will not be given a choice."

"Sesshoumaru-sama, you surprise me. A human woman at the Cardinal Council table." Ryota shook his head in surprise. "Ren will have new gossip to spread when this is over."

"Ren is another matter. I thought, given his nature, he could be assigned as escort to the priestess until she is healed. He will be at the council meeting, as well, and can be made responsible for her safety unless you have other assignments for him."

"No, and I imagine he would 'forget' his other assignments and drop everything for this anyway. That pup needs a Mate more than any other I've ever known. Someone to tie him down, give him focus." Ryota poured himself more tea and he shook his head. He questioned Sesshoumaru with raised eyebrows and the Lord nodded and moved his cup closer.

"Is that what a Mate is to you, General?" Sesshoumaru asked while Ryota poured, genuinely curious.

"No, the bond is much more than that but for him? It might give me some peace. That pup has kitsune in his heritage or I'll eat my axe. In all seriousness, it's not so bad, my Lord." Ryota said knowingly. "I, myself, never saw my life with a Mate but fate had other plans. Rather, Kouji did and I've never been more contented with my life." Ryota adopted a far off, wistful look and a gentle smile.

"You do not find the Bond a distraction? A hindrance?"

"No, I appreciate it." Ryota closed his eyes and allowed his emotions to travel through their Bond. Kouji was safe and content but working on something important. Ryota left him alone but felt his Mate's happiness bloom when they connected. "For the first several years, there was an adjustment period for us both. Knowing your Mate and feeling them constantly are two very different sensations. Ours was a Mating of mutual choice. Neither had any expectations put on us by birth or duty at the time so our situation is different, I'm sorry to say. My advice to you, if you'll allow it," he paused and waited for Sesshoumaru to nod and when he did, continued, "is to request a period of courting that suits you. The other Lords should not object to that. To know a Mate before the bond is completed is wise. Give her, I assume they will choose a female anyway, a chance to know you and know her in return. That way, you will have mutual interest in the changes that occur when do you fully Bond."

Ryota was used to his mercurial Lord and simply waited silently for him to catalogue the information.

Sesshoumaru was pensive for a few minutes as he considered this new information, eyes focused on some detail of the table in front of him. As a pup, his experience with his parents had been one of mutual indifference. They occupied the same physical space but did not share a fraction of the care and attention that his General displayed only moments ago. Sesshoumaru knew deep down that he was a product of obligation rather than affection. He decided in that moment that his own heirs should not suffer the same fate, and resigned himself to make an effort should the Council choose for him. If they did not, he would remain as he was until peace was solidified.

"I thank you for your candor, General." Sesshoumaru looked at Ryota and nodded his head ever so slightly.

"It is my honor, my Lord. We, all of us close to you, wish to see you happy. Or at the very least, not unhappy in the end." Ryota smirked across the table, his blue eyes twinkled with delight, and placed his hand over his heart. "For my entertainment however, please don't allow the Lady mother to know you've accepted the idea. Just let her stew in her scheme until the meeting. I'm sure her reaction will be most rewarding."

Sesshoumaru turned inward for a moment and allowed the prospect of a Mate to intrigue him. Loneliness was the advent of immortality, or so his mother had taught him. But with the right female, perhaps the long years that followed would be filled with intrigue and companionship. He thought of a Palace made livelier by the addition of his Mate and heirs in the future. Perhaps, the benefits outweigh the detriments.

Ryota watched the emotions play across the face of his Lord. This would be a life-altering event for him. The stoic and cold persona he portrayed laid low by a female who would know the depths of his curiosity, loyalty, and passion as Ryota had come to in the past several centuries. These talks between them were not very rare and the bear found that Sesshoumaru was a singular youkai in many ways. Why the inu felt the need to keep everyone at arm's length was still a mystery to him, but it could just be a fault of personality or perhaps the trauma from the death of his father. In Ryota's opinion, his Lord had few truly undesirable traits. Sesshoumaru was wise, thoughtful, and held his honor and that of others around him in high regard. His Mate would be no different. Truly, if she allowed it, she would be a lucky female indeed.

…

Kenshin met Rin in the hallway outside the infirmary as he slid the door closed, smiling happily as she approached.

"Good afternoon, Kenshin-san! Is Kagome-sama awake yet? May I see her?"

Kenshin's bright fuchsia eyes softened at her request but he shook his head.

"No, not right now, Lady Rin. Has Sesshoumaru-sama told you why she is here?"

"No, but he told me about Inuyasha-sama. It made Rin sad. Kagome-sama must be sad as well." The understanding in her deep chocolate eyes was instant. She knew their grief very well.

"Indeed, she is. And her son is with her so they can mourn together and we must not disturb them right now. Would you like to go back to my Lord, or come with me to prepare them some breakfast?"

"Shippou is here, too? Rin has missed him!" Then she considered Kenshin's offer. "I shall come with you. The grumpy General is in there with Sesshoumaru-sama and they'll talk forever about boring things."

Kenshin laughed then thanked his good luck. The inu realized he had no idea what humans ate at different times of day.

"Come then. What do you usually like to eat for breakfast?" he asked, genuinely interested.

"Rin- I mean, I like fruit and rice and some soup. What do you eat for breakfast, Kenshin-san?"

They settled into a comfortable walk to the kitchens side by side in the hallway.

"Like Lord Sesshoumaru, I do not have to eat like you do. My energies sustain me for several days in this form but eventually, I will leave with a few others to hunt on the mountain."

"Lord Sesshoumaru likes to hunt, too. Do you ever go together?" Rin was interested in everything her Lord did.

"No, my Lord prefers to hunt alone. It's all the same since I most likely could not keep up with him. He is incredibly swift, my Lady."

"Ah, so the little princess is out and about today!" Ren cut in, rounding the corner from the courtyard and meeting them full on. He was wearing battle armor, the left sleeve of his kosode tucked neatly away within it, and carrying a new sword at his left hip. "And what are you two up to this fine afternoon?"

"We are getting breakfast for Kagome-sama and Shippou!" Rin chimed in merrily.

Ren gaped at Kenshin, who only sighed. "She's awake?"

"Yes, and," he held up a hand, "no, you may not go see her. She and her son are discussing events of the past few days." He narrowed his eyes to make sure his brother got the point.

Kenshin wasn't sure it was appropriate to let the news of Inuyasha's death out yet. Lord Sesshoumaru had not given instructions either way but he'd rather be safe than dead.

Ren held up his hands in mock defeat. "You win, little brother. I'm too tired right now to be good company anyway. This new katana is giving me trouble. It's longer to compensate for my lack of reach and my balance is off, and the new footwork to learn is a pain. How did my Lord do it? To top it all off, Ryota just sent a messenger to find me and I have to go meet my Lord and the General at the same time. I feel a tongue lashing about something coming on…"

"Well then, I'm sure you deserve it. You should be more reserved, Ren, then maybe you wouldn't get so many 'tongue lashings.'"

"One day, little princess, I'll steal you away for some fun. Away from all these serious youkai and their rules." Ren winked mischievously at the young woman who didn't know what to do but just turned beet red and stood there, mouth agape.

"Just like that, Ren! Flirting with Lord Sesshoumaru's ward in the middle of the hallway! Do you have a death wish?" Kenshin hissed.

"Come now. The little princess knows I'm only having fun!"

Jaken came scurrying up to the group chatting in the hallway breathing heavily.

"Ren-san, they are waiting for you! Come, now!" screeched the little kappa.

"Ah, apparently I am needed. See you later, Kenshin, and behave yourself, little princess!" Ren winked as he jogged away.

"That brother of mine… Shall we continue on, Rin-sama?" he sighed.

"Mm hmm…" Rin hummed, looking back down the hallway, still blushing furiously.

…

Kagome woke from her late afternoon nap slowly and without the nightmares from yesterday. She was grateful for that. Pale orange sunlight was creeping across the floor and warming her face as she laid napping on the raised infirmary bed. Shifting her body slightly, she remembered Shippou was there in bed with her, curled against her side. Her free hand stroked his head lovingly. They had slept the afternoon away after Shippou came to terms with Inuyasha's death. Mother and child managed some lunch after the little kit had calmed down a bit. Kenshin had left them alone again after Kagome promised not to leave the infirmary.

Shippou had taken the news of Inuyasha's passing better than she expected but knew it would be a long time before he would be quite so carefree again. Kagome had explained as gently as she could. Shippou asked lots of teary questions, some of which she didn't readily have an answer for. There was still so much to ask Sesshoumaru to fill in the gaps. Her little fox had brutally lost his own parents not that long ago and now he had lost another. No child should lose three parents in one lifetime. Kagome had lost only her father and grandmother in her short life but those were still heavy on her heart at different times of year. Fall would be a time of sorrow for them both for many years.

Kagome's musings on death and mourning were cut short when Rin poked her head in the infirmary.

"Is Kagome-sama awake yet?" she whispered, peeking around for the absent healer.

"Yes, I am, Rin-chan, but be quiet. Shippou is still sleeping." Kagome answered kindly, sitting up carefully. "My keeper has gone off somewhere for the moment. How are you? I'm glad to see you. Do you like it here?"

"I am happy that Sesshoumaru-sama is back now but the Palace can be very boring. You made it exciting, though, Kagome-sama! I have never seen so many people rushing around!" Rin walked over to stand beside the bed where Kagome and Shippou were resting.

"Shh. Well, I'm sorry I caused a fuss but I'm happy you came to visit us."

"Lord Sesshoumaru told me about your husband. I am sorry about Inuyasha-sama." She bowed respectfully. "I liked him. He was nice and funny."

Happy tears welled in Kagome's eyes hearing that Rin remembered him well. "Yes, he was. Though most of the time, it wasn't intentional." She laughed just for a moment.

"I will miss him."

"Me, too, Rin. But I know he wouldn't want us to be sad for long." Kagome strengthened her voice. It was true. She could imagine him scowling at her and telling her to stop moping, she had things to do.

"Kagome-sama won't have time to be sad! You are having dinner with Rin and Lord Sesshoumaru tonight and then tomorrow morning is the council meeting so you will be busy then, too. Sesshoumaru-sama told the General that you have to go, whether you want to or not. Or at least, that's what Ren-san said. He's coming to see you, too."

'Say what now? Dinner with Sesshoumaru? That's the most uncomfortable, awkward, horrible idea…'

"Oh, he did, did he? That's the first I've heard about it. Thanks for the warning, Rin." The miko dipped one eyebrow and sat up a little straighter.

"Uh oh. Kagome-sama looks like one of Rin's tutors when she's been drawing instead of studying."

Sudden ire forgotten, Kagome giggled at Rin's analogy. "Rin-chan, how I've missed you."

Kenshin slid the infirmary door open and left it open wide behind him. Another young, handsome daiyoukai strode in behind him in a light green kosode and black hakama tucked into black boots just as Sesshoumaru wore. This one looked a lot like Kenshin but was more fit and stood much more relaxed.

_'Are all inuyoukai ridiculously handsome? How do the women around here get anything done?'_ Kagome smiled behind a hand, surprised at her own lighthearted thoughts.

He reminded her of the younger Inuyasha, before the quest to complete the Shikon no Tama. All confidence and attitude wrapped up in a thin, teenage body. His bright green eyes twinkled with mischief like Shippou's and the young inu stood confidently in the doorway, despite the missing left arm.

Her eyes softened when she saw the stump of his arm through his sleeve. This must be the Captain that Sesshoumaru had sent to help Inuyasha. She felt some misplaced guilt at the newcomer's condition. If only she'd noticed his problem sooner…

Kenshin cleared his throat after watching her stare at his brother for a moment. "Good afternoon, Lady Kagome. Shippou-chan still sleeping?" Kagome nodded. "Ren, be quiet coming in. Her son is still asleep."

"Of course, little brother." Kenshin's head whipped back around to glare at Ren.

"Can you please refrain from calling me that in front of guests? Or anyone else? Ever? We're about two centuries too old for nicknames, Ren."

"Ah, but Kagome-sama is practically family. The sister-in-law of our noble Lord and companion to our own little Lady. Friend of youkai everywhere." Ren said smoothly.

"Rin is not so 'little,' Captain-san! I am almost thirteen now." Rin said, putting both small hands on her hips.

"And don't you forget it!" Kagome looked at Rin and chuckled. "Hello, I'm Kagome. You must be the Captain." She held out a hand for him to shake.

Ren took in the miko now that she was awake. Her hair was a mess but wavy and dark, falling in gentle curves over her bound arm and slim shoulders. The white yukata she wore highlighted her lightly tanned skin and ghosts of freckles across her nose and cheeks, and it was tied neatly around a slim waist. The dark circles under her eyes, from grief and exhaustion no doubt, did nothing to dampen the brightness and warmth of her stormy blue eyes. Ren was captivated for a moment by her genuine and open gaze. The hand she extended was strong and sure despite the situation, and was calloused from the hard work she must do back in the village.

As he approached to take her hand, his nose involuntarily sniffed to know her better. Beyond the scent of her pain and sorrow, he inhaled deeply to find her true natural scent. Flowers? Something light and natural. Camelias? And the unmistakable scent of rain. Fluid and metallic. It was intoxicating. She was an interesting human, he decided, and beautiful beyond many of the women he had known in his life. Inuyasha had been a lucky man.

"I am, Kagome-sama. It is a pleasure to see you up and well." Ren turned the offered hand and pressed his lips softly against it. "You have made quite the impression on the Palace occupants."

"I know. Sorry about that. I'll tell them all myself when I'm up and about. How long do you think that'll be, Kenshin-san?" she asked hopefully.

"A few more days at best, Lady Kagome. That blow to your head was very swollen and I'll need to continue to check it every few hours for another day at least. I am grateful you educated me how severe human head injuries can be. I'm afraid your word is all I have to go on, as well. We don't have any texts about human anatomy in the study. I checked this morning."

"Hmm, maybe I can make a copy of our manuscript and have it sent from Edo for Rin's benefit when I return home. If she's staying here, you might need it. Human women in particular have some specific needs as they grow." Kagome gave them a 'sorry' look but didn't explain. Rin looked confused but shrugged.

Shippou chose that moment to wake up, rubbing his sleepy eyes with tiny clawed hands and looking around.

"Good morning, honey. Or afternoon. We slept a little too long." She straightened his small, white sleeping yukata for him as he sat up beside her.

"Why are all these people here, Momma? Rin! Is that you?"

"Hi, Shippou! Rin is here!" She stood closer to the bed and rocked back and forth, excited to see him.

"And who's that one?" The little kit peered around Rin to the doorway.

"Shippou, mind your manners. This is Captain Ren. He's here visiting us, too, I guess?"

"Ah, I forgot. I am not only here to visit, though I hope we do have a chance to talk." Kenshin snorted behind him and Kagome blinked, confused. "I am here at Lord Sesshoumaru's request to be your personal guard while you heal and your escort to the Council meeting tomorrow morning."

"I need a personal guard? I'm going to a meeting? Why?"

Ren shifted the sword at his hip and sat down near Kagome's bed. She pulled the collar of her yukata closed just a bit tighter as he neared her. He noticed her scent change to a sour citrus and wondered why.

"Don't be afraid, Kagome-sama, but there are a great many daiyoukai here and not all of them are so friendly to humans or miko, in particular. Given your 'attack' on the infirmary yesterday, many are wary. My assignment to you is merely a precaution. As for the meeting, Lord Sesshoumaru thinks you may be able to help him explain the death of his brother to the council." Kagome flinched and shook her head. "They will be concerned about two things tomorrow: why he was killed, and the naming of a successor to the West. My Lord's word alone may not be enough to convince them that his death was necessary."

Kagome's eyes were filled with tears but hardened into blue steel when she looked up to him. "That bastard dares to ask me to defend the murder of my husband?! That self-righteous, insensitive ass! How could he possibly think I would do such a thing?" Shippou looked completely unsurprised at her outburst.

"Kagome-sama!" Rin exclaimed, shocked.

"I- I do not know, Kagome-sama, but please do not get too upset. You might aggravate your injuries." Kenshin asked her quietly from his desk, shocked at her language.

"And my Lord hopes your presence, along with my own, will help him to confirm the truth." Ren added nervously. Clearly, the miko had picked up Inuyasha's foul language.

"Like hell. I'll tell him myself. Had his **Lordship** been a little more involved at all- You know what? Nevermind. His behavior is not your fault." Kagome held up a placating hand more for herself than him. "I'm sorry. I'll make him tell me the truth of all this tonight. You were saying? I assumed that anyone who could beat Sesshou- _**Lord**_ Sesshoumaru in a fair fight could just take the West from him? Most of the daiyoukai I've met thought that way and he's certainly got a big enough ego."

Ren stared open mouthed at the miko who was supposing to 'make' Lord Sesshoumaru do things and insult him at every turn in the conversation. She was either suicidal or deluded, but didn't seem to be either so he stuttered a bit before continuing, confused.

"In- In the past, that was the case but my Lord is attempting to change the way daiyoukai rule their Cardinal lands for several reasons." Ren's countenance changed to one of business, his playful tone gone. "For this change to remain permanent, he will need to convince them this was a necessary course of action and not a way to guarantee his sole ownership of the West. Additionally, they will be selecting a Mate for my Lord this year," Ren wrinkled his nose, "but we will most likely be excused before that discussion."

"I disagree that… was the only option, for all the good it does now." she added sadly. "But aside from that, Sesshoumaru the peacekeeper? I find that highly uncharacteristic."

"My Lord is many things, Miko-sama, and he is wise. I understand how you must feel but I ask you to consider that you do not know our ways or the depth of my Lord's loyalty to his home and his people."

His eyes found hers and she saw the seriousness there. He wasn't trying to belittle her or make her feel out of place, these were just facts of his existence and he was politely asking her to open her mind. Kagome was taken aback at the honesty and adoration she heard in Ren's voice. The Captain who had lost his arm in service to this Lord, who was agreeing to guard a human in his home, was openly defending and advocating for her husband's executioner.

The conflicting ideas she was having about Sesshoumaru were unsettling. It was so much easier just to hate him for his presence and absence both in Inuyasha's life. Now she was here, because **he** brought her to be healed, and surrounded by people that loved him, the little human girl he adopted, and she was finding it more difficult to write him off in her mind as an icy, self-important creature of duty without a heart. Indignantly, she conceded in her mind that he deserved a chance to explain his actions to her regarding Inuyasha. If he wouldn't, then she could resume ignoring him. They'd have no reason to ever see each other again after she was healed.

"Okay, Ren-san." Kagome said quietly. "I'll reserve judgement until I get some answers but don't expect too much. …And I am sorry about your arm."

Her eyes welled with tears at the myriad of emotions that had been stirred up in the last five minutes: Inuyasha's death, the meeting to defend it, Ren's verbal love letter to Sesshoumaru, Rin's longing gaze at Ren as he spoke so nicely about her adopted father figure. She covered her face and let the first few tears fall. The Captain continued as if she wasn't crying into her hands. Shippou stood up and hugged her fiercely, nuzzling her shoulder with his small face.

"Ah, that. Well, it is my hope you have some opinion on the matter before you leave us. Not all of us have the excessive youki available to forge a sword and regrow a lost arm on a whim."

"Yeah," Kagome sniffled, "I was there for that and I still don't believe it."

"You were there?!" Ren yelled.

Shippou chose that moment to pipe up. "I was, too. He's so powerful. It was scary flying here with him."

"You flew here with Sesshoumaru?" Kagome wiped her eyes and tried to smile again.

"Yeah, he picked me up from Sango's house and carried me the whole way." Shippou stayed close and nuzzled her chest, trying to comfort her and himself.

"My Lord carried Rin here that way, too! It's so nice when he holds me close." She clasped her hands together over her heart and sighed wistfully.

"Ugh! I can't deal with all this Sesshoumaru worship anymore. Fine, I accept that I need an escort and I have a meeting to go to. Now, could someone show me how you make tea in this place? I would love to catch up with Rin over some tea, if you have time? And not to talk about Sesshoumaru anymore…" she raised an eyebrow at the young girl.

"I will be happy to make you some tea. We have a stove here in the infirmary for boiling water and sterilizing tools but these days, I use it mostly for cooking." Kenshin smiled an easy smile. "Peace is a good thing."

"Let me help you…" Kagome asked, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed.

"Wait!" "Momma!" "Kagome-sama!"

Shippou had been paying attention to his mother's condition and knew her body was still weak from whatever she had done yesterday. Her aura was barely detectable even for him so she was exhausted. The three demons calling out to her knew she would not be able to stand yet but the miko apparently didn't.

"What?!" she shrieked, setting her feet down on the cool wood below.

Ren was there first as her legs gave out and she started to drop heavily to the floor. He slipped his right arm around her ribs and held her up, trying not to aggravate her injured shoulder. She winced anyway and hissed when it grated uncomfortably in the wrapping. The warmth of the inflammation flooding her head and shoulder was immediate and her vision swam. Rin tried to help but her small frame wasn't enough to support the dead weight of the full-grown woman.

"Kenshin, help!" he called into the galley as the woman's head lolled backward. "Woman! Have a care, will you? You've been bedridden for two days, lost a lot of blood, and have a serious head injury." Ren chided, grunting at the awkward position he found himself in.

Kagome blinked slowly and shook her head.

Ren lifted her awkwardly back into bed and stepped back. Kenshin came over, concerned, settled her more comfortably, and checked her coloring and stitches before urging her to lie back down.

"Oops. I should have known. Man, this is the worst. My head didn't hurt all that badly. Sorry about that, Captain."

"You lost a lot of blood and are bound to be dizzy and weak until tomorrow at the earliest. Just stay in bed for now and rest." Kenshin told the miko.

"Or at least until I have to carry you down to Lord Sesshoumaru's rooms for dinner tonight." Ren winked.

"Oh kami, no. Don't make me go down there and face him like this. I didn't think this through and I can't defend myself. I can't even stand!"

"Why would you need to defend yourself, Kagome-sama?" Rin innocently asked.

"Eh heh, well sometimes he and I don't… um, get along? That's nicest way I can say it, Rin. I don't expect tonight to be any different given what we need to talk about. I ended up mute and poisoned the last time we had a conversation." Kagome's hand came up to touch her throat as she remembered their encounter.

"Ha! Meet the first person to survive an attack from Lord Sesshoumaru's own poison! Miko, you are a wonder."

"I don't feel like a wonder. I feel like an idiot." She shook the feeling away for now and refocused. "I need to get some answers from him though, so I guess I'll accept your gracious offer to help me get down there. I promise I will stay right here for now so let's have that talk, huh, Rin?"

Rin nodded enthusiastically and Ren sat down in a chair near the bed to listen to their conversation. Kenshin smiled from the galley, once again occupied making tea, and when Rin was done recounting her journey here and the tedious lessons, Shippou excitedly burst into tales about his classes to Rin. They passed a few amiable hours talking about nothing in particular and enjoying each other's company. Kagome found herself laughing along with them and, oddly, felt her heart lighter than it had been in several weeks.

By the time the evening shone pale red through the windows lining the far wall, Ren sighed and stood, sensing the servant making her way cautiously to the infirmary. Ren stood up and decided to save her some trouble. Sliding the door open just before she knocked, Ren grinned as he caught the deer youkai with her fist up about to knock.

"Hello, Tomomi. Are you here to collect Lady Rin and Lady Kagome for dinner?" Ren stood aside and swept a hand into the infirmary.

"Y- Yes, Ren-sama. Are you ready, my Ladies, to follow me to milord's room for dinner?"

Rin cleared her throat and surprised them all before anyone else could answer.

"Indeed. We were readying Kagome-sama to leave the infirmary. Please inform my Lord we are on the way and will join him presently."

"Of course, my Lady." Tomomi bowed and retreated.

"Wow, Rin. You sound like a grown up." Shippou blinked, impressed.

"Not a grown-up, Shippou-chan. A Lady. Lord Sesshoumaru expects Rin to behave so she does." Rin giggled and turned around to leave.

"Well, the little princess has spoken! Shall we, Kagome-sama?" Ren smiled.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Let's do this." Kagome struggled to sit up and Shippou walked around behind her on the bed to help.

"Actually, Kagome-sama… first, I should do something about your hair." Rin winced as she took in the wild mop at the back of Kagome's head. "My Lord will expect you to be presentable. Or at least, he will be irritated by your… disarray."

"Like I care what he thinks… but is it that bad?" Kagome plucked at a few wayward strands around her face, inspecting her hair's condition.

"Momma, you need a brush or something. It is kind of a mess."

"Thank you all so much for pointing out how mortal danger affects my hair. There's a brush in my bag over- Wait. Oh, damn it! My staff, my bow, my bag! They're all still out in the field! Crap, my clothes and my quiver!" The miko's hand came up to clap her cheek at the panic of losing her friends' beautiful gifts.

"Calm down, Lady Kagome! I will retrieve them tonight after you are asleep, if Kenshin will cover for me." said Ren. Kenshin nodded.

"Thank you but I can't even tell you where they are in relation to the Palace, Ren-san… I still have no idea where I actually am."

"I know exactly where everything is. It was I who retrieved and carried you here."

"Oh." Kagome was quiet again for a few moments. When she spoke again, her voice was thick and quieter. "Then, thank you again, Ren-san. It appears I owe you a lot."

"Think nothing of it, my Lady. I was merely doing as Lord Sesshoumaru requested." He smiled warmly to reassure her. "But you should hurry if milord is waiting for us."

"Rin is very quick but I will have to be careful of your stitches."

Kenshin produced a comb and allowed Rin to use it while watching to make sure she didn't catch any stitches with her styling. When she was done, the top half of Kagome's wavy, dark hair was pulled up neatly and elegantly into a twisted bun and tied with a ribbon from Rin's sleeve. The rest, she left to hang down and combed it neatly over the miko's shoulders. Rin also requested a washcloth to wash Kagome's face, neck, and hands and then nodded that she was ready.

"Beautiful, Lady Kagome. Now let's be off. I am afraid to keep my Lord waiting much longer."

"You mean that literally, don't you?"

"Absolutely. Now come here, my Lady." Ren approached with his arm outstretched.

"Before you pick me up," Kagome held up a finger, "let me remind you that I am still a miko and you'd better behave yourself." She cut her eyes at him in warning.

Ren blinked in shock. Kenshin snorted with laughter at his desk in the corner and Shippou chimed in with a "Yeah! That's my mom. Don't be a pervert!"

"Now that we're clear, Captain, onward to the most awkward dinner ever… Wait, are you sure Kenshin shouldn't carry me?"

"Lady Kagome, my brother is perfectly capable." Kenshin said seriously.

"Oh. Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

Ren lifted her from the bed easily with his right arm and she held on to his neck with her good, left arm. Her eyes found his and he looked away silently but she mumbled her apology at his face anyway.

"Sorry, Ren. I wasn't thinking."

"It's okay, Kagome-sama, but I am moving on with my life as we all must."

Kagome met his unusual, pale green eyes and understood he was trying to commiserate with her. They both had their losses but life must go on. Rin left the room and headed down the hallway ahead of the Captain and Kagome. Ren was through the doorway and headed down the hall when Kagome remembered something.

"Oh, Shippou, honey, do you want to come or stay here? I'll leave it up to you. I have no idea what to expect."

"I want to come with you, if that's okay." he mumbled, unsure.

"Of course. Come on then, my little mischief maker, and let's meet this miko-saving, peace-loving, kit-carrying benevolent Lord I keep hearing about."

Ren sighed. "Miko-sama, for kami's sake, please don't do that in my Lord's presence. I am already fond of you and wish for you to keep your head where it is."

Kagome giggled lightly and nodded her head.

"Fine, you win. I'll try not to die."

Shippou scampered ahead in his little yukata and joined Rin walking down the hall. They were talking animatedly about the Palace as Rin pointed out things in the hallway to him and he commented earnestly. Kagome wondered what Rin's first home had been like. Had it been like this? Or much simpler like Kagome's own life? She'd never thought to ask.

The miko looked around and took in the world outside the infirmary for the first time since coming here. The floors were the same throughout: all dark, polished wood. Odd for a Palace but it was warm and attractive. The walls were traditional and pale ecru. Small tables and paintings created bright spots of interest in the hallway as they walked. Kagome heard talking through the doors of several rooms as they walked, and some light and feminine laughter, but some were dark and quiet.

_'Right, there are other youkai here. A lot of them apparently.'_

She turned her head all around to take it in, looking for clues about her husband's family in the ceramics and paintings. Ren was watching her take it all in with a curious expression and she caught him staring and turned a faded shade of pink. His mouth and eyes smiled in unison realizing that curiosity was not strictly an inu trait. This woman wanted to know everything.

"Perhaps I could take you on a tour of the Palace when you are feeling up to it. This small corner is interesting but nothing compared to the gallery and the Arena. The mountain itself is a beautiful place. The Inu no Taisho was very creative."

She turned her head as Ren rounded a corner to the left and the hallway widened. Only a few rooms were left before the wide, stony overhang created a shelter from the elements and gave way to the large gardens of the central courtyard.

"I'd like that I think, but I should leave as soon as I'm better. With winter coming, the village needs all hands on deck. I mean, they'll need my help. I guess I need to ask Sesshoumaru-sama if it's okay, too. Wouldn't want to sully his home with my human filth."

Ren turned right and away from the courtyard, and started up a set of wide and flat stairs. Kagome could hear Rin and Shippou talking farther up and wondered where they were going.

_'Definitely couldn't have made these stairs on my own today.'_ she thought sadly.

Up another flight of stairs, Ren turned into the hall and Kagome took in the new scene. This hall was lined heavily with swords, armor, and tapestries of many colors. Some were of great battle scenes and some were of surreal scenery. A few paintings showed what Kagome thought must be ancestors: males and females of different eras and styles, all fair and ethereal like Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru.

There were much fewer rooms on the third level and only three were lit from within. One directly to her right, which Ren did not stop for and two more further down. A servant waited patiently beside the double doors of the room to the right. Ren continued as they made their way down.

"My Lord is not opposed to humans in general, in my experience. He's made a few trade contracts with the human Lords nearby in the last few years."

"Say what now? Sesshoumaru? Dealing with humans voluntarily? Well, my experience has taught me that he'd rather see us all dead than trade with us. The world is changing, though, and I guess even Sesshoumaru has to make concessions."

"Indeed. We are here, Kagome-sama." Ren said quietly.

"Here we go…"

The deer youkai, Tomomi, was standing ready at the double shoji doors. Shippou and Rin were there waiting patiently, which was a struggle for Shippou. He kept was glancing nervously at Rin for cues on what to do.

"This way, please, Lady Kagome and Captain Ren. My Lord is expecting you."

Tomomi opened the doors and stepped inside to wait for them come in. Ren waited for Sesshoumaru to nod before bringing the miko forward and settling her to the Lord's right, Rin kneeled to her Lord's left, and Shippou followed Ren and Kagome mutely, waiting for instructions.

Kagome smelled fish and rice and the enticing smell of seasoned vegetables laid out on the table. She felt the warmth of the room breeze around her face as they stepped in from the cold hallway. She felt Ren bend down and shift his arm to help her sit at the table. But her eyes drifted to Sesshoumaru and refused to leave.

The inudaiyoukai was kneeling at the head of the table farthest from the doors and had a dainty, black teacup in one of his large hands. His impossibly long, silver hair fell behind him to the floor and pooled there. He was wearing a deep purple kimono patterned like the familiar haori she knew, with white honeycombs detailed in light pink sakura blossoms. The gold obi he wore was crisp and tied neatly at his side. The collar of his under-kimono was white and made even his skin look darker by comparison. It was simple but he managed to make it all look more elegant somehow. She fidgeted, feeling plain in comparison.

More than what he wore, his expression was unlike she had ever seen him in their many encounters. His eyes were harsh by nature, she had thought, but now they were relaxed and open. He blinked slowly and glanced at her as Ren settled her down the table to his left. Warm gold eyes that were so much like Inuyasha's but so different. His mouth, normally a hard line, was relaxed and she was surprised to notice he did, indeed, have lips and watched him as he sipped tea from the small cup. His forehead wasn't creased in disappointment or anger but smooth and flat. He seemed peaceful. She was prepared for confrontation and his usual dismissive attitude, but not for the relaxed and stoic youkai in front of her. He lifted his chin and acknowledged Ren.

"Thank you, Captain. You may go." Sesshoumaru turned to the little girl to his left. "Was your visit with the miko pleasant, Rin?"

And he was making small talk with his human ward. This was going to be a strange night. Ren bowed and excused himself, casting a warning look to Kagome before passing her and sliding the door closed. Tomomi kneeled down next to the door and waited. Rin started in like it was any old day, reporting her activities jovially to the most deadly youkai Kagome had ever met.

"Yes, I did, Sesshoumaru-sama. Kagome and Shippou are wonderful company and had some good stories to tell Rin about the village and Shippou's school." Rin smoothly poured tea for herself and Kagome, then asked Shippou if he'd like some, too. He nodded but looked embarrassed that she should do such a thing.

"Hm. And are you healing well, miko?"

"Hm?" Kagome found herself spacing out at his polite and even tone. It was confusing. His attitude was so different, so unlike any experience she had ever had with him and she had trouble deciding how to act. "Oh, sorry, yes. I've been sleeping mostly, to be honest, but my care has been excellent. Thank you again for bringing us here. I haven't spent this much time resting since… the last time I visited my mother."

_'And now I'm babbling. Rein it in, Kagome. It's gonna be a long night.'_

"Please eat. There is much to discuss."

"Thank you, and, yes, I agree." Kagome looked at him sternly and watched as his face reflected the Sesshoumaru she knew: the hard mask of consternation and caution. His face went from relaxed to nearly scowling in a second. Clearly, he had not been expecting conflict from her tonight. But how could he not?

Food was passed around to Rin and Kagome by Tomomi, and Shippou tried some of everything and grew more open and talkative as the meal wore on. Rin and Shippou got on well and Kagome found herself smiling at Sesshoumaru occasionally over the children's friendship before remembering each time who she was smiling at and correcting herself. They weren't single parents bonding over dinner. She was the miko he had nearly killed twice in the last week and he was her husband's murderer.

Mercifully, the meal went quickly because the children were genuinely hungry. Kagome ate very little because she was too nervous and distracted at the prospect of questioning him when it was over. They were all silent as they ate and the tension in Kagome's stomach grew as the dinner went on.

"Are you done, Shippou? Did you want anything else?" Kagome asked.

"No, I'm stuffed. That was a good meal! I haven't had food that good since Kagome last cooked at home," he said to Rin, "and that was months ago."

"That's sweet, Shippou. Thank you. We do have some nice dinners together, don't we?"

"Rin loves it when other people come for dinner, too. My tutors do not want to talk much and there are no other children to play with here."

"Well, why don't you and Shippou-"

"You and the fox kit may go-"

Shippou and Rin blinked in unison before Rin giggled and stood.

"Come on, Shippou-chan! Rin has some wonderful books and drawings to show you in my room. It's just across the hall."

"O- Okay, Rin. Momma, are you gonna be okay?" he asked quietly, eyes darting over the daiyoukai across the table.

"Of course, sweetie. I'll be fine. Go spend some more time with Rin while we're here. You'll be able to hear when we're ready to go." Kagome straightened his gifted little white yukata and patted his head.

"Excuse us then, milord, and thank you for coming to dinner, Kagome-sama." Rin bowed and Sesshoumaru nodded, dismissing them.

Tomomi opened the doors and Sesshoumaru bid her go with the children to keep them out of trouble. Kagome swallowed thickly, suddenly feeling very much alone despite the overwhelming presence of the inudaiyoukai next to her. He seemed content to merely sip his tea and sit inhumanly still. Kagome finished another cup as well before she couldn't take it anymore.

"So, the Captain tells me I have a council meeting to attend tomorrow?" Her tone was saucy and indignant and he did not miss it.

"Yes, at which you will give an account of the battle and the hanyou's loss of control. Any other information is not necessary for the purpose of the meeting." He was still gazing into the room and not at her.

"How can you do that?" She set her own teacup down and folded her hands in her lap.

"Do what, priestess?" Golden eyes found her shrunken pose and took in her scent. Wood ashes. Her sadness, he remembered. But a new layer that was spicy and burned deep in his nose.

"Sit there and calmly ask me to describe, in detail, the worst day of my life to a bunch of strangers! It was all I could do to tell Shippou the truth, let alone the gory details. Why do they need to know? And why do you need **me** to tell them? Can't you do that alone? Surely they'd rather hear it from you than a human."

"My account is irrelevant since it is my intent they are questioning."

"Yeah well, I question it, too. We can't change what happened now but I have not forgiven you for killing him."

"I do not need your forgiveness and I do not seek it. It was the right thing to do, whether a human woman understands that or not."

"But you do need my testimony, apparently. And if you need that, then I need some answers or no dice. I mean, I won't do it." she corrected herself.

"You will."

"Will I? And why will I do this thing for you?"

"Because, in your anger, you fail to remember what This One has done for you."

"And to me. Yes, you saved my life out there but you also almost killed me on the riverbank, and the day after that, you nearly succeeded again. Forgive me if I don't prostrate myself at your feet for fixing the damage you caused."

"Very well." He blinked slowly and locked eyes with her. "Ask your questions but-" he held a hand to still her opening mouth, "I may choose not to answer."

"Fine but you have to answer at least a few or I'll just leave and take my chances."

"Your first question, miko?" His eyes hardened as he grew weary of her childish attitude.

"Why couldn't we have tried to find another way to help him? Why the urgency to kill him?"

"I did not set out to kill Inuyasha. I set out to discover what had driven him mad. Once the discovery was made, the decision made itself. There is no cure or seal for one's innate abilities."

"But you choose when to use yours, don't you? Your poison isn't out there, melting everything you touch all the time. Why couldn't he do the same?"

"Our abilities were not the same. My father's gift was a curse for him, as well. I will say only that his ability led directly to his death. He sought the same cure you do and failed. We are not always in control of ourselves." He looked away and refused to meet her eyes.

"That's definitely true." Kagome shook her head. Agreeing with him was not the plan. "But how did your father-"

"No, miko. No questions about our father."

_''Our father,' huh? Maybe he really has considered Inuyasha's feelings.'_ Kagome thought.

"Okay. That's fine." Kagome heard the hardness in his statement. He didn't want to talk about the Inu no Taisho. She let it go and continued. "Then why didn't you bring Tenseiga? You could have brought him back and given us time to start over."

"You are speaking through your grief again, miko, and not with your mind. That course of action only delays the inevitable. Tenseiga would not have brought him back, at any rate. It only works on those who wish to return to the living."

"He did, didn't he? Of course, he wanted to live. How can you say that?"

"Do you truly wish to know?"

Kagome nodded but was unsure. She thought she wanted to know but Sesshoumaru's tone made her heart doubt. Knowing about Inuyasha's desire for death was an irreversible thing.

"He confessed as much as he lay dying. I told him of our father and his ability and he agreed ending his life was the safest way to ensure the safety of those he loved. I agree. He ended many innocent lives while out of control, and would have lived long enough to end many more."

"He was- he was hurt and confused. There's no way he wanted to die when we had so much life ahead of us. We were happy. Just starting out. After four years of confusion and pain, we were finally together. His heart was healing from the trauma of his entire life up 'til now and we were in a good place. There's just no way he wanted to die!"

"He did not wish to die, miko. He wished to save you both from living on until your fate was far worse. It is that same reason which compelled me to move you from harm's way during our battle."

"Yeah, that one was on my list, too. Why did you save me? Why not let him kill me? I'm sure you thought about it."

"If Inuyasha had succeeded in killing the one he loved, the weight of that death on his soul would have doomed him to Hell for eternity. This One saved you to save him as well."

Tracing the same path down her cheeks again and again, the tears did not stop as Sesshoumaru told her the truth. She wiped away what she could with her sleeve but more took their place. Kagome's brain couldn't accept that her innocent hanyou, the savior of so many, had been doomed to die at the hands of his own brother. How could that be the way world worked? Her heart decided anger was an easier way to deal with this new betrayal.

"If your father could take a fang and make a sword to keep his youki under control, we could have found a way to seal his demonic half and save his life. You just didn't want to try! You opted for the easy path, admit it!"

"Hear me now: there was nothing easy about killing my brother. You may think many things about This Sesshoumaru but never that." he spat at her. He had sat quietly and calmly while she leveled her many accusations at him but the miko would not be allowed to think his decision was the result of laziness and apathy. "For me to kill one I called pack was excruciating. It goes against my very nature. You once again speak of things you do not understand."

She tried to look angry through her watery eyes and red cheeks but Sesshoumaru saw her resolve and her posture crumble again into that of someone overcome by grief.

"No, you're right. I don't understand. I don't understand any of this. I don't understand why he had to die, I don't understand why I'm here," she gestured around the room, "I don't understand how I'm supposed to go back to any kind of normal life. How could he leave me like this? Why am I doomed to be alone?"

"I feel the same at times." he said quietly.

Kagome swore she heard him sigh as she stared at her lap. She was so tired of crying in front of him. He didn't care and her tears didn't change anything. She opted for an attempt at levity instead.

"What? You? I assumed you were contented here. That's how you looked to me."

"Hm. Inuyoukai are compelled to seek the comforts of a pack. A large family group. You are not the only one who lost a family member yesterday. We are few in number now and his loss was a great one, hanyou or no."

For just a moment, she saw a flicker of pain in his eyes. Those immutable golden orbs glistened with sadness for just a moment before he shook himself free of it with a jerk of his head to stare at the door.

"But you hated him… didn't you? You made 'half-breed' comments, punished him brutally every time you met, and then-"

"Allowed him to live? Gave him the information he needed to stay alive in the future? Defeated the enemy who had already laid him low? If I wanted him dead, it would have been so long before now."

"But then why not tell him the truth? That you wanted him to stay alive? That you cared about him enough to keep him from dying?"

"You exaggerate my motivations. In truth, I expected him to live many more years without conflict. I expected-"

"Reconciliation? He wanted it, too, you know. Your acceptance was the last piece of the puzzle that would have put him back together completely. I want you to know that. He didn't need it and never asked you for it, but he wanted it."

"He told me as much before he died. His death has been more difficult than I imagined." he confessed.

Sesshoumaru and Kagome locked eyes. He was being honest and she was relieved to know it hadn't been easy.

"Good. Maybe we do understand each other now. To me it's a living nightmare."

"And a resting nightmare, as well, apparently. Has your loss of control occurred again?"

"Are you making a joke right now? And no, it hasn't. I'm sure you'd know. I haven't used my reiki out of fear, either. This has never happened before. But," she sighed," thank you for that again. I'm so glad no one was hurt."

"Have you any more questions?"

"Are you prepared to answer them? I'm surprised you've answered them all up 'til now."

"Death requires acceptance, and acceptance requires understanding."

"You sound like Miroku. And I know you're just playing nice to get me to come tomorrow. Anyway, only one: what should I expect at the meeting?"

"Hm. Tomorrow, the four Cardinal Lords meet here in my Palace to discuss the past year and prepare for the year ahead. That discussion includes a conversation about succession. Heirs are brought before the Council to gauge their fitness to rule, or else Mates are selected for those who are still unbound."

"Unbound? Gods, that sounds serious."

"Pay attention. During the discussion of succession, you will be called in to the council room to give testimony to the other three Lords regarding the need for and results of the battle with Inuyasha."

"You mean his death?" she cut in. He was tiptoeing around it but for whose benefit she couldn't tell. "Please just say that."

"Very well. You must give an account of the need for and results of Inuyasha's death. I understand that this may be difficult but you must control your emotions long enough for them to hear your words."

"I'll try but that's the best I can do. And I'll have Captain Ren there to protect me? From what exactly?"

"From the daiyoukai who may wish you harm. A miko has never been brought to Council table before."

"Never?" Kagome gaped.

"No, so your control over your emotions and energy must unwavering. Any weak display from you and they may discount your testimony as the ramblings of a grieving widow."

"Which I am."

"Which you are."

"So, I lied before. I have one more question." Kagome nervously gazed up at him and, feeling bold, scooted a little closer to his end of the table.

He eyed her approach warily. "One more and then you must retire. The children have become quiet and it is getting late."

"Are you okay? I've been worried about myself this whole time but I feel guilty now for thinking you were fine with his death."

"Do not concern yourself. I will have more time to think on his death when the Cardinal Council is done."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. You should collect the kitsune and go back to the infirmary. Captain, you may come back in now."

_'He's politely telling you to butt out, Higurashi. Let it go.'_

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama." came the call from beyond the door.

Kagome wondered if Ren had heard the whole conversation. Perhaps he had. Did it matter either way?

Ren had already collected Shippou, who was talking a mile a minute about some calligraphy work Rin had showed him and a drawing she'd done of the village. The Captain let the kit wander around his ankles as he bent down to collect Kagome from the floor. Sesshoumaru remained seated but nodded his dismissal.

"Well, good night, Lord Sesshoumaru."

"Hm. Be ready before noon tomorrow, miko."

Kagome shook her head and Ren smirked over her head as they made their way back to infirmary for the night. Tomorrow would be a long day…

...

**Author's Note:** "Yūgen" is the Japanese aesthetic used to describe the subtle profundity of things that are only vaguely suggested. I thought it was appropriate given we are just now seeing how the two MCs react together outside of mortal danger. See? Not so much doom and gloom but some closure. Hope you liked this one and I hope everyone is still safe and well! Next up, the Cardinal Council meets!


	17. Chapter 17 - Help the Weak

**Author's Note:** I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 17 - Help the Weak**

Deep in the night, Kagome lay sleeping peacefully in the infirmary. Her deep and even breathing was a welcome sound to the inudaiyoukai watching over her.

Kenshin had been powerless to help as the raw emotions of the dinner with Sesshoumaru came crashing down around the young woman in his charge. He tried to comfort her as she buried her face in his robes, slender fingers desperately clutching the fabric over his chest, but found that his own embrace and words of comfort were useless. Shippou was beside himself, too. The little kit hugged her tightly and tried to remind her that he was here and it was okay to be sad. She sobbed for the better part of an hour before giving Kenshin a teary apology and releasing him, futilely wiping at the moisture soaking his robe. He understood. He barely remembered losing his own parents as a pup but his sorrow over their absence in his life was enough. He imagined what it might be like to lose Ren and reflected on the panic and sense of helplessness he'd felt when his brother had nearly died.

Soon after Kagome regained her composure, she and Shippou fell asleep curled warmly and familiarly into each other.

Later in the night, Kenshin was studying an herb Kagome had described that afternoon as an aid for human pain. The crushed plant smelled bitter and foul but she had offered to teach him something new and he jumped at the chance to flex his rusty skill set. That the cure might help her recover and lessen her pain while she was here was an added benefit. Youkai healed so quickly that the use of such medicine was hardly ever necessary, except maybe in the cases of severe toxins or births, and neither of those things happened anymore.

Shaggy, tousled silver hair fell forward around his face as Kenshin bent over to make notes on the texture and scent of the plant before and after pulverizing. Anything worth doing, was worth doing well. A silver pendant fell from between the folds of his robes and clattered against the desk. Muttering a curse, he stood straight and tucked it away again before sitting down to finish his study of the herb.

The healer's attention was diverted when the shoji door to the main hallway opened slightly. The hiss of the door sliding in the frame was quiet but his demonic hearing was used to picking up on such fragile sounds.

"Hello? Ren, are you back already?" he questioned, wiping the plant stains from his pale hands with a rag.

His brother had left only a few hours ago to retrieve the miko's belongings from the battlefield but should not be back yet. Kenshin stood and tried again, walking cautiously around his worktable at the far end of the room and towards the slightly cracked door.

"Hello? Tomomi? Ren?"

He peered back over his shoulder and saw both of his charges sleeping soundly in their bed. Kenshin reached the door and opened it wider to peer up and down the hallway. Hearing nothing but the usual mutterings and footfalls of servants nearby, the healer surveyed the Palace halls one more time and then stepped inside to close the door.

As he turned around, Kenshin felt the press of cold steel at his neck. Without hesitation, the shining blade drew a hard line across his throat, deeply severing the flesh at his neck and halting his breathing as the freshly spilled blood flooded his lungs. Gasping and clutching his throat, the attacker pressed again at Kenshin's exposed belly, swiping the blade the full width of his torso. He could not fight or scream. He could not breathe. And now that the entirety of his blood was leaving him, he could not stand.

Collapsing to the floor in a heap of wintry hair, crimson blood and indigo robes, the only sound the healer made as he fell was the distinct clink of his silver amulet clattering on the floor beside him… His mother's last gift to him… Panicked magenta eyes were opened wide and filled with tears as he took in the sight of his most treasured gift coated with blood on the infirmary floor.

_'No… I can't leave… Ren alone….'_

He stayed conscious long enough to see the attacker walk away from him and toward the miko's bed. He was after Kagome!

…

The healer was only in the way. He wasn't here for the dog, he was here for this woman. A sleeping, injured, human woman. Why?

What could a child like this have done to deserve his services?

No matter. The bitch was as good as dead. The pup left to guard her was a joke. This assignment had paid well but a hatchling with a dagger could have ended this pathetic, inconsequential life.

Curiosity overwhelmed him and slow, silent steps took the dark hooded figure around the bed to gaze upon the face of his victim.

She wasn't exceptionally beautiful. She wasn't rich. She didn't belong to anyone important, unless his nose was lying to him. Why had that uppity hag hired him for this?

The assassin raised the blade to finish the job when he felt something hard collide sharply with his right calf. He stumbled sideways and away from his sleeping target. Scowling down at the floor, the intruder saw the half-dead dog had shifted his failing body and was poised to kick again. The inu was gasping for air but angrily gritting his teeth in place of the growl he couldn't voice.

_'Playing with your food again, Rion. See what it gets you?'_

Sighing, he scowled and rounded the bed again, bending back down over the inu and preparing to drive his blade through the pup's skull.

…

Kenshin was quickly losing consciousness, his vision fading, but he braced himself against the floor and swept his leg out to make contact with the bed. Missing, he drew the attention of the assassin as his kick collided with a leg instead of the bed. In a panic, he kicked again and battered the leg of Kagome's bed as hard as he could.

His effort was not in vain as the leg of the cot cracked on impact and it toppled to the side, dumping its occupants roughly to the floor and away from the attacker. Kenshin collapsed back to the floor, unmoving.

Kagome woke up to a new pounding in her head, screaming pain in her right shoulder, and was confused to find the cold, wooden floor instead of her mattress beneath her. Where was Shippou? In the dark, she heard footsteps and saw someone swathed in black clothing kneeling next to a prone body centered in a pool of… blood?

_'Kenshin! What the hell is happening?!'_

Without prompting, her aura flared brilliantly to life and she cast a barrier around herself and Shippou, who was clutching her leg fearfully, digging tiny claws into her calf in his dazed confusion. Gods be damned if whoever this was would lay a finger on her or her kit, and Kenshin might not have long left if she didn't get to him soon.

"A miko?!" she heard the attacker screech unnaturally. Rion crouched low to leap away to safety but Kagome fired first.

"Oh no, you don't!" Kagome yelled.

An orb of reiki swirled brilliantly to life in her open left palm and she thrust it towards the youkai in front of her. He was too quick, however, and four thin, bristly, black legs sprouted from his back and launched his body towards the ceiling. For just a second, he faded into the darkness and Kagome thought she had lost him.

Strengthening the barrier around herself, she picked Shippou up and stared him down.

"I don't know if I can hold this much longer. I need you to go get Sesshoumaru!" Kagome yelled at him and threw open the infirmary door.

"No, I won't leave you! Please-"

"There's no time, Shippou. Go!"

Kagome tossed the disoriented kit out the door and turned to face her attacker. She might not be able to kill him but she could keep him busy. Six more orbs of power blinked into existence behind her and she whipped them up and around the room with a flourish of her hand to light all the dark corners the assassin might hide in. Sure enough, he launched himself toward her from behind a screen at the back of the room with a hiss and landed hard on top of the barrier. Forgotten nightmares came back to life in her mind as eight knobby, jointed, arachnid appendages stabbed, scratched, and tore at the barrier over her head. The miko screamed and covered her ear with one hand as his shrieks of anger and bloodlust filled the air over the hissing sound of his burning flesh.

Suddenly, the clatter above her stilled and Kagome felt a furious youki batter her senses and rush past her with a deafening snarl, snatching the attacking spider from the barrier and pinning it roughly to the far wall in front of her. She heard a muffled gag and more scrabbling of legs against the wall.

"Who sent you here, kumo? **SPEAK!**" Sesshoumaru roared.

"Never!" the attacker gasped.

"Then die, filth."

Kagome looked away but heard the squelch of flesh and blood, and the snapping of bone and knew the spider was no more.

_'Kenshin!'_ her mind suddenly remembered.

She dropped the barrier with a gasp and limped over to him. He was staring blankly at the ceiling and nearly drowning in a wide puddle of blood.

"Please no! Oh, Kenshin, no!"

She reached for her power but it was nearly exhausted.

"No, not again! Obey me, damn you!"

"Miko-" she heard him start to say but then he fell silent, hoping she might be able to save the healer who had been raised at the Palace as he was. One of two of the last pups to have been born in his lifetime.

For the second time in three days, Kagome gathered the scraps of her power together and forced it to submit. The weak stream of reiki trickled through the hand now hovering over Kenshin's gored throat. The miko opened her eyes and gazed at his peaceful face. Her power was closing the wounds but no life was returning to him. The first few tears left her eyes and fell to the floor. The pitiful glow of reiki stopped and the room was dark and cold.

"Sesshoumaru! Quick, Tens- Wait…"

A warm glow to her left caught Kagome's attention and she saw an amulet lying in the sanguine pool on the floor. Compelled to examine it, her hand left the dead inu and reached for the necklace as tears filled her eyes. It was slick with blood but warm and… alive? The amber stone framed in silver had a presence of its own and was calling to her, pleading, and asking for her help. Cautiously, she threaded a small tendril of her reiki into the stone resting in her palm and the result was an explosion of energy that rang as vaguely familiar. It felt friendly, vast, and very old. A light filled the room so brightly for a moment that Sesshoumaru had to cover his eyes in the dark infirmary.

The power that erupted from the stone glowed a pale, soft pink and wrapped itself tightly first around Kagome, who gasped at the intrusion, and then around Kenshin's body through Kagome's outstretched hand, lifting him slowly from the floor. He stilled in the air a few feet away and hovered there, robes dripping with blood but swaying gently beneath him.

A curious but cautious Sesshoumaru lowered the arm shielding him from the blinding light and heard Kagome whispering through the thrum of power filling the room: _"I understand. I will help you."_ She was knelt there on the floor next to the healer, a halo of pure energy surrounding her. Her calm and gentle embrace of the amulet to her breast and acceptance of the energy offered to her made Sesshoumaru think for just a moment that he might have been gifted a vision of the kami. One sniff of the room made him aware she was still just a human but he realized, objectively, she was a powerful being all on her own.

Kagome closed her eyes, used her senses, and saw the strange power flooding the room. Grabbing the reins of the foreign energy by herding it with her own, she forced it to attend Kenshin and directed it through his body like water through a parched river bed. She felt his tissues begin to brighten, life creeping back in. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she felt the pull of a soul traveling through her and shivered as the sensation of cold fire rippled through her body. Opening her eyes at the shock of it, she saw and heard Kenshin gasp a deep lung full of air.

Stunned, Kagome relaxed the flow of reiki through him but the moment she did, the foreign energy was abruptly hauled back into the now innocently quiet amber stone, and Kagome was left feeling empty and very weak. Kenshin hovered for another second and then began to plummet to the hard floor.

Kagome tried to stand to catch him and failed, slipping in the blood still wet on the floor. Sesshoumaru was watching from across the room and when Kenshin started to plummet, he dashed to catch the unconscious pup.

"Oh, thank kami, Sesshoumaru. I don't think I can stand." Kagome sat heavily back down on the cold floor, breathing hard.

"Momma! I found Sesshoumaru-sama! Did he-" Shippou stopped in the doorway, panting, and took in the pool of blood on the floor.

"It's ok. It's not mine. We're all okay." she soothed, seeing the stricken panic on his face. "You did it, Shippou! Well done, my brave boy. Now if I could just get up off the floor…" Kagome tried and failed again, huffing her frustration.

"Sit, miko. A moment." Sesshoumaru cast over his shoulder.

The Western Lord laid Kenshin atop another of the six infirmary beds and came back to help the miko stand. Hooking two large hands underneath her arms, he lifted her slowly and waited for her to test her weight before loosening his grip.

"Thank you. My legs are still… fine! They feel weak but- whoa!"

Suddenly her muscles gave out and she was crumpling to the floor again. Sesshoumaru growled and caught her, lifting her easily to rest in his arms.

"Sorry… But they did feel stronger. My shoulder isn't sore either…" Kagome lost focus, feeling her shoulder, then looked up at him in surprise. "She healed me, too."

Kagome looked up at him from her nest in his arms and her eyes glittered with happiness and wonder at the gift the mysterious power in the amulet had given her. Sesshoumaru only stared seriously down at her and continued walking around the room to find an empty, unbroken bed to set her down on.

"Who healed you?" Sesshoumaru asked quietly.

"His mother. Their mother." Kagome said solemnly. "She sealed her power in that stone to stay with them when she knew she was dying. She was a priestess, Sesshoumaru. Did you know that Ren and Kenshin are hanyou?"

He scoffed. "Impossible. They were raised here as pups after their parents were killed in the Four Points Wars and are as all full inu pups. They carry no human blood." He gestured to the puddle in the infirmary. "You are exhausted and delusional. Go to sleep, miko."

"You know, truth is not immutable. New evidence changes existing truths. Youkai trust their senses too much to see reality sometimes."

She thought of Inuyasha, his deadly abilities, and how the demons that knew him had all been wrong about his strength, both inside and out. Surely that would be news to the Council tomorrow, too. For being as old he surely was, Sesshoumaru seemed unwilling to accept that change was nature as much as instinct was. How old was he anyway?

"Ridiculous." he countered, shocked at her insight. "You have no senses to speak of and know very little of youkai. Sleep, miko. There is much to be done today."

His golden eyes turned up to the window now showing the brightening golden and pink rays of first light before looking back down at her. She looked at the new morning with him and felt happiness at having lived through the night to see it.

"Thank you for saving me again. Do you have any idea who that was?" Kagome questioned as Sesshoumaru continued sedately pacing the room. Kagome noted that he was walking gently and not jarring her with every step. He was being… careful with her?

"No, and he would not have revealed his employer. His heart bore no fear at my threat. Where is the Captain? He was assigned to guard you yet is absent." His brow furrowed in disapproval.

"I sent him- um, to the kitchens to get me some tea. I couldn't sleep."

"You are lying. Do not attempt deception with This Sesshoumaru again. The truth, miko." He frowned down at her, and Kagome blushed and surrendered.

"How did you- Fine. He volunteered to get my weapons from the battlefield and I need my bag so I let him. I'm sorry I lied. Were you expecting assassins in the Palace? I certainly wasn't. And why me? Who could I have piss- um, angered when I haven't seen anyone since I've been here except you, the Captain, and Kenshin?" Her right hand grasped her chin in thought.

"There have not been assassins in the Palace since the days of my father. I must speak with the General. I will assign a guard to the infirmary until Ren returns."

"That's a good idea." He scoffed again at her agreement. As if he needed her approval. "And Sesshoumaru?" She looked up at him again but he was lost in thought, gazing over her head somewhere far away.

"Hm?"

"Can you put me down now, please?"

His arms tensed around her when he realized he was still holding the human woman but standing right next to the empty bed beside the sleeping Kenshin. The fox kit was looking nervously up at them both from the new bed, waiting. She had distracted him with her heinously inaccurate discussion of youkai instincts, his own thoughts of the days of his father's reign, and now he was voluntarily coddling a human covered in inuyoukai blood.

"Hn."

The daiyoukai set her down and waited for her to settle before looking around the room for the fetid body of the spider.

"What's wrong? Oh, the body's gone… She must have purified him, too, when that energy broke loose. You really didn't feel that as reiki? It took me a moment to place it but I was expecting youki so the feeling threw me off at first."

"Ask the healer when he wakes but prepare for disappointment, miko. Sleep." He walked around the two beds and made for the door, silver hair reflecting the pale sunrise in his retreat.

"Okay- Aaah…" Kagome was cut off by a face-splitting yawn. "Sleep time. Thank you again, Sesshoumaru-sama."

"Hm. And miko?" He glanced back over his shoulder with a frown.

"Hm?"

"Do not presume ever again to give orders to my soldiers." he said firmly before leaving, snapping the door closed.

"Of course, my Lord. I would never." She smirked at the door from her pillow.

"Momma, what happened?" Shippou finally got to ask. He laid down next to her and scooted close enough to feel her warmth. She unconsciously wrapped an arm around him and felt comfort in his presence and safety.

"We were attacked by an assassin, apparently. Kenshin was almost killed but your quick trip to find Sesshoumaru saved us all. My reiki was still too drained to hold that barrier for much longer. And I'll be honest, the fact that it was a spider really got to me. More than it should have." She chuckled sadly the shook her head and the creeping dread that came with remembering all of the previous encounters with spider-like beings. "When we get home, it'll be days and days of sweets and playing in the sun and snowball fights for us. It's been a long month."

"I'd like that. I feel like…" Shippou sighed mournfully and paused.

"Like what? You can tell me."

"Like we're always being separated. I'm gone at school, I know. That's my fault. But even since we've been here, we're apart again most of the time. It's dumb, I know. Sorry. But when you sent me away tonight, even though it was important, it just made me sad again. When important things happen, we're always apart."

_'Like when Inuyasha left…'_ they both thought.

"Shippou, first off, never feel bad for your feelings. Ever. They guide us and help us. If they're telling you we need to stay together, we can definitely do that. I need you, too, you know. Second, I miss you like crazy every time you leave for school or anywhere. I'm all alone here, too, when you're away. It's okay. Distance? Letting go? It's all a part of growing up. I'm five hundred years and miles away from my first home. How about we stick together for the next few days until we leave? Now that I'm feeling better, Rin can come hang out with us. I've missed her, too."

"I'd like that. I've missed you, too. You never seem like you're all that sad when I leave for school, but you are?"

"Of course, I am, Shippou, but it doesn't do me any good to try to keep you like a book on a shelf. You need to be out there, experiencing the world. I can't do that with you as much because I'm needed in the village, but I'd like to visit your school again sometime and see your world there. I would also like to go see my mother when we get back but if it makes you uncomfortable, I won't."

"I didn't know you felt like that, Kagome. Okay, you should definitely go see your mom. I'll stay with Miroku and help Sango with the kids." He nodded definitively and gave her a small thumbs up.

"Such a good cousin. Now, we need to get some sleep. Tomorrow, I suppose it's 'today' now, is gonna be a long day. I'll have to break our 'staying together' pact for just a few hours today to go to Sesshoumaru's Council meeting but then I should be free until we go home."

There was a knock at the door and the servant, Tomomi, came into the room carrying an armload of rags and introducing an armored soldier behind her. The glaive he had strapped to his back made Kagome feel both better and worse. She had thought their days of struggle and mortal danger were over. Sitting up, she finger-combed her hair and straightened her bloodied yukata, wondering who to ask about getting a clean one.

"Kagome-sama," the nervous servant bowed, "this is Inaba. He'll be standing guard outside for the rest of the morning until Ren-taii returns. I'm going to clean the room, as well, but I have brought you some clean clothes and warm broth first to settle your nerves and help you get to sleep, if you would like."

_'Sesshoumaru works fast.'_ She smiled to herself, reevaluating her thoughts on his shuttered and inconsiderate heart.

"That sounds wonderful… sorry, what was your name again? I don't believe we've been introduced."

"Apologies, my Lady. My name is Tomomi and I'll be your personal maid until you leave here and while Kenshin-san is recovering."

Kagome did not miss how her moss green eyes flitted over to the sleeping inu with concern and fear, and held there for several moments. When Tomomi brought Kagome and Shippou their soup bowls, Kagome got an idea and looked innocently over her steaming broth to make a request.

"Could you check on Kenshin for me while you're here? I haven't had a chance to inspect him since he was healed."

"But Momma, he's fine. You don't need to- muh unh hunh!"

Kagome covered his mouth with her hand and smiled gently back at Tomomi, who had brightened considerably at the suggestion.

"Of course, Kagome-sama. Right away."

Shippou was glaring daggers at Kagome from his spot in her lap. She just shushed him and waited to see if her suspicions were correct. They most certainly were. Tomomi quietly padded over to Kenshin's bedside and gently pressed her head against his chest, sighing with a hopeful smile when she heard his even heartbeat and regular breathing.

Kagome could see the buds of two small, velvet-coated antlers growing through her pale blonde hair and realized she must be a deer youkai. And she seemed quiet and sweet and kind, from what Kagome could tell, just like Kenshin. She smiled knowingly and resolved to help the enamored shika youkai, if she could. Her own experiences with love were far from perfect but if the two days she had spent with Kenshin were any indication of his true personality, this hopeful maid deserved a shot.

Love. Thoughts of love were painful but Kagome concluded that it made many people very happy, even if she seemed to be the exception. She couldn't love the sweet middle school boy who'd thrown himself at her, she fell in love with the twisted heart of a hanyou who couldn't make up his mind as a teenager, and then she'd come back here as an adult, faced down her matured half-demon love and made a go of it only to end up heartbroken anyway. The days of nerves and fear and longing were supposed to be over for her and yet, here she was, feeling all of those emotions once again as a widow on the precipice of years of loneliness.

Ever the optimist, Kagome remembered the happiness the last six months before all this had brought her. Shippou was safe and contented, and growing up strong and happy. Inuyasha had made a wonderful husband and had probably ruined her for other men. His determined passion, his strength, and his fierce loyalty were a force to be reckoned with. She missed his fanged grin, the way his ears twitched when something made noise across the room, and the way he'd kissed her like she was the only woman in the world worth kissing. And the way he'd made love to her…

_'I wonder if I'll ever be able to feel love like that again.'_ she sighed. _'Maybe one day in the future. I can't imagine it now.'_

Looking back at Tomomi, who was moving a stray piece of hair from Kenshin's peaceful face, she remembered what that newness and excitement felt like and envied them.

"Is he okay?"

The servant nearly jumped out of her skin, having forgotten all about the miko and her kitsune being in the room.

"Huh- Hai, Kagome-sama. He seems like he's recovering well." She cleared her throat to strengthen her voice. "Shall I help you change?"

"Oh, kami, yes, please! I'm afraid this bed in ruined now, too. Be careful with me. I've fallen down twice today and I don't trust my legs anymore."

"Of course, Kagome-sama. Here, let me help you down."

The awkward nature of their business was made better by Kagome's giggles when the deer youkai's gentle hands brushed her ribs. Gradually, the old bandages and bloodied clothes were stripped away and Tomomi's growing comfort with the miko allowed her to smile through her work. Shippou laughed nearby at their antics when Kagome almost fell down and stuck her arm through the wrong sleeve of the new dark green yukata. Both women burst into laughter and when it was all done, and Kagome felt like she had made a new friend.

"Sorry about that, Tomomi-chan, but thank you. I desperately need a bath today now that these cuts and bruises are getting better."

"I will finish cleaning the guest room for you, Lady Kagome, and you can move into it this evening after the meeting. I have also been shown your attire for the meeting and will help you change into it once my Lord has left for the meeting."

"Is it formal?" Kagome asked with a wince.

"Very, my Lady. But it is beautiful. You will be most pleased. The Lady Mother hand selected the outfit and the jewelry."

"Jewelry, too? I'm not a Christmas tree, I'm just a witness for kami's sake."

"Kur-rist-muhs, my Lady?"

"Nevermind. I hate being paraded like a doll in front of a bunch of youkai who could care less. But enough about me! How long have you been in love with Kenshin?" Kagome asked, turning mischievous sapphire eyes on Tomomi.

"Momma!" "Kagome-sama, please!"

"Who's in love with Kenshin, ladies?" Ren's easy tenor drifted from the doorway. Tomomi paled facing Kagome, who suddenly felt very embarrassed and mouthed 'Oops' at the mortified deer.

"Oh Ren, wait a second. I need to tell you something before you-" Kagome tried but a growl filled the room before she could finish.

"Kenshin! This is his blood all over the floor! What happened? Who hurt him?!" Ren's eyes bled red and he lunged to stand protectively next to his twin's sleeping body, glaring at the two women and dropping Kagome's things to clatter to the floor.

When the steel rods of her staff and the heavy yumi bow clattered loudly against the floor, Kenshin's eyes snapped open and he panicked and sat up only to collide roughly with Ren's still-growling head.

"What the hell?!" "Shit!"

Before more questions could be asked, Kagome clutched her middle and burst into laughter at the sight of the two silver-haired brothers rubbing their heads and growling at each other. Her uncontrollable giggles made Shippou laugh, too, and soon Tomomi was smiling and the brothers were chuckling at the ridiculousness of the situation.

"Kagome, I take it back: I don't ever want to leave. This is way more fun than home." Shippou said from her lap, wiping a happy tear away.

"You're forgetting our near death experience this morning, little man. I, for one, will be more than ready to go home. Welcome back, Kenshin. Are you feeling okay?"

"My head hurts, Kagome-sama," he said, rubbing it tenderly, "but I will recover. I passed out and… How are you?! The assassin was after you!" His eyes flew open in a panic and he leaned toward her bed, eyes searching for mortal damage.

"Assassin?!" Ren yelled, verdant eyes going wide.

"Everybody, breathe." Kagome held up placating hands. "Let me explain."

Kagome explained the last few hours to the brothers, thanked Kenshin for his quick thinking, and asked Tomomi to fetch the amulet from the floor. After she cleaned it and handed it to Kagome, the miko turned serious eyes on the brothers but remembered the timid servant was still here.

"Tomomi-chan, could you please get us some tea? We have a lot to talk about." Kagome waited for her to nod, casting one last look at Kenshin, and then walked lightly through the doors. Kagome exhaled and found Kenshin's apprehensive magenta gaze already pinned to the amulet. "She helped me, and I hope you know who I mean or else this morning might be awkward."

"Kagome-sama, I understand what you think you might have felt but you are mistaken. It is only a necklace. You were tired and weak…"

Ren set his hand gently on his brother's shoulder. "Kenshin, it's okay. She saved your life. I think she already knows everything. Well, most everything anyway." Ren sighed.

"Ren, we can't. Even Sesshoumaru-sama doesn't know." Kenshin dipped his head down to capture his brother's eyes. They had kept the secret their whole lives.

"He might now. I assumed he did and told him about your mother. He dismissed it as ridiculous, though, so you might be safe. Why don't I tell you what I think I know and you can elaborate or not? But first…" Kagome took a deep breath and raised a thin barrier around them all. "No intruders. Everyone okay?"

Ren reached a tentative finger out to touch and when it crackled in warning but did not burn, he smiled back at Kagome.

"Amazing, Kagome-sama." His green orbs glittered with wonder but then turned serious. "So, what do you know?"

Kagome explained what happened, the presence she felt, the request from their mother to help, and how Kenshin had been revived through her.

"So, I think I know that somehow, your mother's reiki is housed in this gem for your benefit. She seemed sad, like she knew she wouldn't be around to see you grow up and felt this was the best thing she could do for you. Am I wrong?"

Kenshin cleared his throat. "Not entirely. You know it's her reiki. She was a priestess. Her name was Sanayo." He smiled gently. "She fell in love with an inudaiyoukai when they met as allies during the Four Points Wars but they were never Mated. Our father wouldn't allow it."

"Stubborn bastard." Ren cut in. "He loved her, we think. She refused to talk about him after he left us for good. He was a General under the Inu no Taisho and there were expectations for his Mating. Instead of casting those expectations off and living with us, he decided to return to the West after the Wars were over. Mother told us that he did not want to stay and she would not press him, because he had already given her so much in us."

"How sad. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," Ren said growling. "We were better off without him. She was happier not worrying about him constantly and we knew we could take of her even at fourteen years old."

"How lucky she was to have you both… and how wise." Kagome smiled, tears forming under her eyes. Her hand found Shippou's small back.

Kenshin continued.

"She died around what we think was her sixtieth year. Before she did, she had us find this stone and have it made into a necklace. On her death bed, she poured her reiki and what was left of her life force into the stone, though to this day I do not know how, and told us to always keep it close, that she would always be with us to protect us when we needed her most. Yesterday was the first time it has been used, to my knowledge."

"And why do you feel the need to keep your parentage a secret? Are you worried how the others will treat you?"

Ren answered her. "Not exactly, but when we were found and brought here as orphan pups after the Wars, Kikuko-sama made it very clear that the soldier's war-begotten human pets were not allowed and that hanyou children were not welcome in the West. She had lost her own Mate, you see, and would not tolerate disobedience in the matter. Many left the West because of it and led lives with their human Mates outside of the protection of the mountain. We knew we could pass as full inuyoukai and when we were not questioned, felt we shouldn't volunteer the information and stay safely here."

"I am so sorry and thank you for telling me. I promise I won't breathe a word to anyone about this. For what it's worth, she loved you very much and was desperate to save your life, Kenshin. I'm glad I was here to help. I couldn't bear to see you die."

Kenshin smiled. "Thank you. I am also glad you were here. Ren should not be left on his own." Ren growled indignantly but Kagome interrupted him with a yawn. "But now it appears you should be getting some sleep. I'll wake you in a few hours, if that's acceptable."

The miko didn't miss how his tone went from friendly to business at the mention of her exhaustion.

"Mm hmm," Kagome mumbled and dropped the barrier. "Shippou, do you want to go back to sleep with me or go find Rin for a little while? It has to still be very early in the morning and I don't know if she's up yet."

Kenshin swung his legs over the side of the bed and eyed Ren, who backed off a little and let his brother stand. Finding his legs responsive to his weight, he walked over to the miko's bed and bowed to her.

"Thank you, Lady Kagome, for saving my life." he whispered to her.

"Of course. But you know this makes us friends, right?" she smirked at him.

"Very well, but as your friend, I must insist you get some sleep."

"That's the medic in you talking, not the friend."

"It is both. Now sleep."

The weight of the events of the morning and the exhaustion from her overexertion once again came crashing down around her and Kagome fell asleep quickly.

…

"Good morning, Lady Kagome." Kenshin greeted.

The inudaiyoukai was carrying a tray of breakfast and wearing an easy smile. Kagome was sitting up in bed but still had the vestiges of sleep in her eyes and hair as she straightened her yukata as best she could. The miko was glad they would be comfortable with each other from now on.

"Kenshin-san, for the millionth time, just 'Kagome,' please?"

"My Lord would be most displeased to hear such informality from me, as I have stated, and his ears are sharp." The healer gave her a raised eyebrow then smiled. "If we meet outside the palace walls, I would be honored at such a personal address but for now I am afraid we must remain as we are, events of this morning or no."

"If you say so." Kagome shrugged and thanked him for the breakfast tray. "Did Shippou get up to Rin's rooms okay?"

"Of course, miko-sama. He was excited enough to hurdle Tomomi in the hallway and she nearly dropped your tray and two others with it."

"He **is** a kitsune. I'll have a talk about Palace protocol with him when he gets back."

Shippou was off having breakfast and playing with Rin, much to her delight, and Kagome was glad he had a playmate to keep him distracted. Her brave kit was trying to remain happy for her sake but in the quiet moments, in between tasks and meals and naps, she watched his happy mask fall away and saw the pain and uncertainty in his eyes. His world was changing again. Demon or not, children needed a rock to stand on and his had been chipped away significantly in the last few years. They needed each other and Kagome was happy he had a friend in the midst of this den of grownups.

A shiver at the cool breeze from outside brought her back to her present thoughts. Today was the council meeting where she would be expected to tell a room full of strange demons about Inuyasha's death. She tried and failed to steel her nerves for that kind of raw, emotional exposure. It was bad enough that his killer would be there in the room, but to make matters worse, she was told Sesshoumaru's mother would be there as well. The youkai who had been abandoned for the sake of a human woman, who lost her Mate because of it, and who hated the hanyou more than Sesshoumaru.

Well, that wasn't entirely fair. Apparently, the elder brother had not hated Inuyasha quite as much as she assumed. In the end, anyway. So many new revelations from last night were still swirling around in her head that they blanketed the sorrow she should be feeling with fear, nervousness, confusion, and just a little bit of indignancy.

Why couldn't Sesshoumaru just stay in the icy, aloof, murderous box she had put him in in her head? Why did he have to show emotions mirroring her own and break down those walls of anger and sadness she had so carefully built in between them over the past week? Sympathizing with him during their dinner was not part of her plan. That 'heal-quickly-and-get-the-hell-out-of-here' plan that kept taking hard right turns as each new revelation came to light.

"Ah, speaking of protocol, Lady Kagome… I'm afraid the Lady Mother has requested to meet with you when you've finished breakfast to discuss the proper protocol for the meeting."

"Such fancy words for 'don't screw this up, human.' Say what you mean, Kenshin-san. We've crossed that threshold at least."

"That's true, Kagome-sama. Kikuko-sama is fierce and loyal and she will be very demanding I'm afraid. She has a right to be, mind you, so do not cross her unnecessarily."

"That's a fair warning if I ever heard one. Very well, Chief, I will mind my manners when Sesshoumaru's wizened mother gets here."

"Good. Before she does, perhaps you should try to walk a little today. You seem to be fine sitting up well enough and if you have been healed, it would be best to regain as much of your strength as you can before you meet. Is your aura responding today?"

Kagome closed her eyes and found her energy still rebuilding itself after the re-exhaustion of it during the attack. It seemed small and tired but flared to life within her when she caressed it awake. She took a chance and held out her palm. A skeletal butterfly grew there and soon its wings filled with pale blue light and it fluttered from her hand to the ceiling before dispersing on contact.

"I had no idea reiki could do such a thing, Kagome-sama. You must be a master to manipulate your energy so. Ren would be most inspired to see your skill."

Kenshin stared wide-eyed at the human woman in the hospital bed. With the exception of Lord Sesshoumaru and his brother, the healer had never seen another capable of such aura manipulation.

"Hardly. I've had very little formal training in the grand scheme but I have a wonderful teacher who understands me and how I think. He made it easy. Well, easy as he could."

"He? You did not learn from another priestess but a man? How unusual."

"'Unusual' will be the title of my memoirs. It's my normal, but I digress…" she finished mirthfully. "What I would most love before this meeting is a bath. Tomomi-chan said she was preparing a room for me but I'd love to wash the last few days off before Sesshoumaru-sama's mother gets here."

"Oh, she won't be coming to get you here. We have to take you upstairs to her."

"Of course you do." she said sarcastically. "But all the same, I'd still love a bath first."

"Very well. Let's get you to the guest baths."

…

Some time and a lot of scrubbing later, Kagome felt warm and clean again in a fresh white yukata. She brushed and braided her unruly raven hair, tying it with the golden ribbon and bringing it to rest over her left shoulder. Her backpack and weapons had been no worse for wear after sitting out in a field for two days.

She had thanked Ren profusely for going to get them, warned him that Sesshoumaru knew he had left, but hadn't seen the Captain since then. Perhaps it had something to do with hiding from Sesshoumaru but perhaps he was avoiding her as well. She reminded herself that she had only known these youkai for a few days so their behavior was not abnormal, whatever she thought it should be.

Back in the infirmary, Kenshin had examined the residual damage around her shoulder and head, after she was modestly bound and loosely dressed. Her shoulder was covered in the sickly faded yellow of a healing bruise, and her scalp was well enough for him to remove the stitches. The only remaining injury was a set of four deep puncture marks on her right arm from Sesshoumaru's claws. They were almost healed now and healing herself further with her reiki would not prevent scarring so she had left them alone.

'Just some more to add to the list.' Kagome thought wryly, turning her forearm over to examine the wounds.

Her scars were souvenirs of the time she'd spent in the Feudal Era. The time-traveling priestess could remember no more than a scraped knee from childhood but her time here had been a wellspring of injuries. While at the shrine, she was careful not to let her mother see too much of her exposed skin for fear she might never let Kagome come back to such an obviously dangerous place. Mariko Higurashi had written it off as virginal shyness and the insecurities that came with being a teenager. Thoughts of her mother led to melancholy.

_'Oh Momma, I really need you but who knows when or if I'll be able to come back?'_

Kagome hoped the well would be kind and allow her to pass through after she unsealed it.

"I believe you are well enough to walk on your own. Shall we make our way to Kikuko-sama?"

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Please lead the way, Kenshin-san."

Her progress was slow and her legs felt weak and unsteady. Kenshin was patient as she took each step carefully but stayed an arm's length away behind her for propriety's sake. Kagome deemed the hallway ridiculously long after about ten minutes of careful steps. As they rounded the corner, she could hear the deep rumbling tones of male conversation through the screen but kept walking slowly and determinedly towards the dreaded flights of stairs that led to the family rooms.

…

"Katsurou thinks he is clever and will catch you by surprise, but Ren was certain he had decided on this punishment for the loss of his heir."

"It is appropriately humiliating and consistent with their odd tendencies. I will consider that it is a possibility."

"And if they press you? If the Council agrees? What then? He has blood payment on his side and Ryouzou will certainly agree in order to weaken your position."

"I will reassess my strategy."

"This isn't a war, my Lord. They won't give you days to consider after the Council. You know as well as I, they will demand you make a decision while they are present."

"Then I shall. She will agree, or be made to, should it come to that."

"You would accept so easily?"

"It is of little consequence. Humans have short lives, General."

"You have more faith than I in the matter but I trust you. I just hope she does not lose control of herself should this come to pass."

"Hn."

…

Kenshin gave up after the first six stairs and carried Kagome up.

"I'm so sorry. Exhausting my aura must have done more to me than I realized. I'm also starving! I forgot all about lunch today."

"Ah, and I forgot that humans need to eat so many times in a day. I will have a tray brought up to you during your lessons."

"Oh good. Now she can watch me eat when I'm starving." Kagome said sarcastically. "Meeting Sesshoumaru-sama's mother and attending a youkai Council meeting… What a strange day." Kagome said idly.

Kenshin's nose caught the change in her scent to that of her sorrow. When he sent a questioning look her way, she sighed.

"I still can't believe he's gone. I keep waiting for him to come running around a corner or hear him yelling down the hallway, breaking things as he goes." She laughed just once and shook her head. "Sorry. I can't even process emotions right now. I need quiet and alone time, and until then, everything is going to keep backing up on me."

"That is wise advice and I hope you find some peace when you return home. I know you will be glad to go but I can say I will miss you, Kagome-sama, when you do." Not giving her a chance to respond, Kenshin set Kagome on her feet outside of a room down the hall from Sesshoumaru's in the small family wing. "Here we are. Be respectful and try to absorb what she will teach you. It may save your life during the meeting." He winked at her, quickly turned and walked away.

"Save my li- What?! Kenshin, come back here! What do you mean 'save my life'?"

Suddenly, the door in front of her opened and a strikingly pale and beautiful woman stood before the miko looking annoyed and disgusted.

"He meant what he said, human. Stop squawking outside the door and come in. We have much to do and little time now that you are exceedingly late."

Kagome could not believe her eyes! This woman- No, demoness- was exquisite. Alabaster skin and silver hair bound ornately atop her head with glittering jeweled ornaments that tinkled as she turned around to leave Kagome agape in the doorway. The rest of her hair was left long in matching twin tails and fell beyond her hips across the grand and pale blue bow at the back of her golden and red silk kimono. A voluminous pelt framed her slender and flawless shoulders and reminded Kagome of the pelt Sesshoumaru often wore. The impossibly gorgeous inudaiyoukai kneeled behind the table at far end of her room without a backward glance and beckoned the 'slow-witted human' over.

Kagome did her best to walk carefully over, feeling the quivering in her legs not entirely due just to fatigue now, and accepted the invitation to sit down. Actually sitting was a trial in itself but after giving up and bracing her hands on the table's edge, Kagome managed to fold her traitorous legs beneath her and take in the moment.

The room was as beautifully decorated as the occupant. Tapestries and dark wood carvings dotted the walls and the furniture was decorated with silver and ivory gilding in the forms of chrysanthemums, flying inu, and billowing clouds. It was all so fanciful and beautiful that Kagome began to hope that Sesshoumaru's mother had a fun and fanciful side of her own. That fragile hope was blown to hell as the demoness began to speak.

"I am against your presence at the Council meeting, make no mistake." Her eyes narrowed. "Humans have no place here. However, since my son insists you provide evidence of the death of the hanyou, I will attempt to lessen his humiliation by ensuring you do not embarrass us further while present. Do you understand me, human?"

"Yes, Kikuko-sama, I understand." Kagome bowed, already perturbed. Curiosity won out over anger instantly as Kagome realized that this stunning woman had apparently birthed Sesshoumaru. "Forgive me but are you truly Sesshoumaru-sama's mother? You look so young!"

And she did. Then again, Sesshoumaru did as well. And so did the twin inudaiyoukai brothers. Even her son was full youkai and appeared much younger than she was despite being several decades older. Her comfortability with beings different from herself had allowed her to think for days that she was a part of their world. Suddenly, she was made very aware that she was the "other" in this Palace.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, miko, now pay attention."

"Yes, Kikuko-sama."

"Good. First, sit up straight, human. Your posture is atrocious."

"My legs are not quite at full strength, my Lady, but I will try." Kagome squirmed in place and tried to rearrange her shoulders and legs to sit fully upright.

"Try harder. Shoulders back, chin higher- No, parallel to the floor. Better. You are a guest of the noble house of the silver inu while at the Council table and do not forget it. Hands folded neatly in your lap. Do not slouch while you do so. Better. Your simple mind **can** remember basic instructions."

Kagome found herself gritting her teeth already in frustration. How the hell was she supposed to do this all while telling them the story of what had happened?

"Do not clench your jaw. The Dragons will view you as hostile, preparing to strike."

"Dragons?! There are dragons here?"

"Has no one told you anything about whom you are to meet? Leave it to my impetuous, foolhardy son not to have you educated. Must I do everything, Sesshoumaru?" she lamented.

Kagome sat with her mouth agape. Sesshoumaru was impetuous and foolhardy? Mountains were more foolhardy and impetuous than the inudaiyoukai named Sesshoumaru that **she** knew.

"What do you know, miko? So that I do not waste my breath." Kikuko pulled a fan from her obi and began flitting it back and forth in boredom.

"I know that there will be four Lords at the table and they meet to discuss important matters once a year. I know Sesshoumaru-sama is one of them and that Ren-taii will be there to give testimony with me. I believe he also mentioned that we would not be present for the whole meeting, but only to give our testimony and then we were excused. Is that correct, Lady Kikuko?"

_'This human is being surprisingly respectful. Perhaps she will not embarrass us overmuch.'_

"What you say is true. You must memorize the names of the four Lords and their heirs and Mates before the meeting. Should you be addressed, you will answer respectfully and appropriately to each race of daiyoukai present."

"So much? Do they expect as much from a human at the table?"

"If you wish to live, and not embarrass my son, you will cease whining and do as I say."

A knock at the door saved Kagome from letting her anger get the better of her. The servant Tomomi came in with a tray for Kagome, some tea for Kikuko, and a very nervous smile.

"Excuse me, Lady Mother, but I have brought lunch for Kagome-sama and some tea for my Lady, should she wish it."

"I suppose I might as well. It seems we have much to do and few hours to do it in. Be quick, pup, and do not spill anything."

"Right away, Kikuko-sama."

"Now, to begin. From the North, Lord Katsurou and his Mate Haruna will be the only representatives. Their heir will not be present…"

Kikuko went on for an hour about the Lords and Ladies who would be present at the meeting. The ruling pair of pheasant and phoenix from the South, and the dragon steward and heir from the East both sounded as formidable as Sesshoumaru. Kagome found herself nervous as Kikuko went on and on about the expectations of body language to each Cardinal Lord. Her head was spinning with both the overload of youkai information she was sure she'd never need again, and the gnawing hunger growing worse by the second as she watched her food steaming temptingly on the table before her. Mercifully, Kikuko finally finished and after berating Kagome several times over mispronunciation or forgetfulness, allowed her to eat.

Once her meal was over, the Lady called the servant in from the hallway and bid her to 'make the skinny human presentable.' Kagome opened her mouth to retort but Tomomi roughly turned her around and all but shoved the incensed priestess behind a screen.

"Do not, Kagome-sama. Please…" Tomomi whispered as they worked to clothe her in yards and yards of silk fabric. The pulling and yanking of her winding ebony hair was the most unpleasant but she bore it, hoping for another soak in a warm tub once this was over.

"I know. Ren made me promise not to die. Kenshin did, too, now that I think of it." Kagome giggled for just a moment as the servant wrapped an obi around her middle, brushing her ticklish ribs once again. "I'm going to miss you all, Tomomi-chan, when I go back home."

"We will all miss you, too, Lady Kagome. The Palace is made brighter with you here." The timid deer blushed at the intimacy of her words but meant them sincerely. "And more so now that you are dressed. Your attire is most becoming."

"Come out, human. Let us see what we have to work with."

Kagome shuffled nervously out from behind the screen and prepared for judgement. The mirror set adjacent to the screen showed Kagome the work Tomomi had done and she almost didn't recognize herself. Her hair was half-up but left loose around her ears and fell in gentle waves around her face. A single silver comb held up the elaborately braided knot at the back and the borrowed silver necklace was a simple teardrop that glinted in the pale filtered light of the early afternoon.

The kimono was a dark red and patterned with wisps of cloud floating over her breasts and down to the flared hem. Her under kimono was a pale blue and matched in brightness by the stark white obi around her middle. It was more fine clothing than she'd ever worn in her entire life. The young woman was struck with nerves at the realization she was really going to sit in a room full of powerful daiyoukai as the lone human with only Ren there to care anything about her safety.

"Well now. It appears our little deer has some talent for polishing rough stones. You are not altogether unattractive, miko. The honor of my house may yet survive this farce."

"Thank… you?"

"Walk to me and let me see you better."

Kagome shuffled unsteadily and heard the clicking tongue of disapproval from the inu now standing across the room.

"So ungainly. We will have the Captain escort you so your limp is less noticeable."

"I'm still recovering, Lady Kikuko, and my legs are weak. I'm doing my best here. Does this have to be so tight? It's already hot and pinching by ribs."

"Stop complaining. Beauty is pain, miko, in one way or another. Do not forget it. Ah, and just in time. Come in, Captain."

"Most beautiful Lady Kikuko, how are you?" Ren entered and bowed low. "I am pleased to see you looking so well."

Ren looked the part of a noble escort in his steel and green-corded breastplate and boldly patterned navy blue kimono. Images of unfurled white fans were scattered up and down his long torso. The black hakama he wore were plain, un-tucked, and slim. His boots were polished and matched the polished sheath of the sword he wore through his gold obi. The top section of his razor-straight cropped hair was wound neatly into a small bun and clasped at the back of his head with a silver crescent moon. He carried himself confidently and smiled as he took the Lady's hand and kissed it respectfully.

"Now, pup, none of that. Your task is there and good luck to you." Kikuko waved him away but Kagome did not miss the softening of her golden eyes at the sight of the young inu.

Ren turned to find Kagome and smiled brightly.

"How lovely you are, Kagome-sama. Tomomi has outdone herself." Ren plucked Kagome's fingers from their nervous fiddling with her obi and gently laid his lips to the back of her hand. She smiled and her face relaxed from its tense frowning. At least she had one friend in the room.

"Just please don't let me fall down in this. I may never be able to get back up."

Ren laughed lightly and then offered his arm.

"Shall we? The Lords have gathered and read the initiation rites so we will wait outside until Sesshoumaru-sama bids us go in to give our testimony."

"Do not be late." Kikuko cast over her shoulder from the doorway. "I will see you inside later, Captain. Miko, do not make a fool of yourself." And the Lady Mother left in a flash, leaving only a faint breeze of youki behind her.

"Well, with a vote of confidence like that, how can I possibly fail?" Kagome rolled cerulean eyes but found Ren watching her. "What? Is there something wrong with my hair?"

"No, Kagome-sama, you are perfect. My apologies."

Slightly bewildered at the Captain's response, Kagome nervously took the first step towards the Council meeting room and the end of this uncomfortable visit to the West.

...

**Author's Note:** See? Not so heavy this time. Kagome would still grieve in the small, in between moments so expect that for a little while yet. This chapter was supposed to get us into the meeting but it kind of ran away with me, I'll be honest. Hope you like it! Let me know, if you have time. :)

To all of my Guest reviewers: I completely appreciate your feedback and I would respond to you if I could! Thank you all for reading!


	18. Chapter 18 - Bad Reputation

**Author's Note:** I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 18 - Bad Reputation**

Ren lead Kagome slowly down the hall and then waited patiently as she tackled the stairs, matching her tentative steps downward. Her brow crinkled as she tried to steady herself and bend still-shaky legs to her will.

"I'm sorry about this. I feel like such a burden to everyone."

"That's Lady Kikuko's doing. Do not take it to heart. You know better than most why she detests humans so much. It has nothing to do with you and everything to do with your entire race." He sent a smirk over his right shoulder at her.

"You know, you're really bad at that. I might actually be sad **and** angry now, Captain." She cocked her head and grinned at him.

"Well, perhaps you will school this failure in the future on the proper methods of comfort."

"Ren, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were flirting with me. I've heard you have a habit of teasing Rin-chan as well."

"Oh, I never tease, Kagome-sama. Teasing is the providence of those unwilling to be bold." He raised his chin in jest, attempting his best impression of Sesshoumaru.

"You read that in a book somewhere."

"You wound me yet again, my Lady. Sesshoumaru-sama was quite thorough in our education but that one was original."

Kagome opened her mouth to question him when a forceful pulse of youki down the hallway caught both of their attention.

"Permit me to carry you the rest of the way, Kagome-sama?"

"Yes, I think you should. Sesshoumaru feels pissed."

"Kagome!" Ren admonished.

"What? …Well, he is."

Shaking his head at her unladylike language, he scooped her up as she giggled at his reprimand and they made their way quickly down the remaining stairs and to the Council room doors. Sesshoumaru was indeed waiting for them with a scowl on his face. Hers, however, was a look of wonder as she took him in.

_'So different than usual…'_

Sesshoumaru turned to face them as Ren approached and his high ponytail was sent into a gentle wave behind him. The silver clasp around it glinted brightly in the afternoon light from the courtyard and were a stark contrast to the warm gold of his eyes. Those same eyes were relaxed but piercing all the same and Kagome felt nerves creep into her belly at the hard line of his mouth and sight of the doors beyond him.

_'We're really gonna do this. No running now, Kagome.'_

The indigo haori he wore was held closed with a short length of ivory fur and complimented by the familiar furred pelt slung over his right shoulder. His white kimono was dotted in the red honeycomb pattern he seemed so fond of, and pieces of the pattern were peeking out from beneath the indigo silk up and down his long torso. His hakama were bright golden yellow and looked impossibly soft and flowing, made of a material she could not readily place. He stood confidently outside of the meeting room doors and looked every bit the regal Lord the Palace occupants believed him to be.

But she noticed the tension in his jaw and shoulders. In this moment, he was nothing like the comfortable, reclining inuyoukai she had met over dinner with the children. He was stiff and withdrawn, coiled and tense. She understood then that this was not his forte. He would be as eager for this to be over as she was.

Kagome wished that just for a little while, he would be more like the sociable inu that had talked and had tea with the Higurashi family, nestled into her mother's kitchen. The thought of meeting that future Sesshoumaru again when she went home was a sad one. He had known all along what was going to happen and selfishly refused to prepare them both. This Sesshoumaru had no knowledge of any of this, of course, and was merely impatient to get their part in the meeting over.

"You are late." he rumbled curtly.

"It's my fault, Sesshoumaru-sama. I can't really walk yet and the Captain was trying to let me do it on my own. I'm sorry." Ren set her down and made sure she was steady before bowing to Sesshoumaru and backing away several steps.

"Hm. We are about to begin-" he was cut off and scowled at the raucous laughter that erupted within the meeting room, "-the discussion of succession which will inevitably lead to your testimony. For your safety, I will allow you the privilege of being presented as an honored guest of my house over a simple witness. Be still."

"My safety?"

"Hm."

Sesshoumaru took two short steps and squared himself directly in front of the finely dressed priestess. Her scent changed from that of the naturally soothing camelias and rain to the harsh bite of yuzu and he remembered her nervousness from the valley grove.

"I will not harm you. Do not move."

Kagome nodded mutely and tried to slow her hammering heart. It was all for nothing when he leaned forward, grasped her silk-clad shoulders with broad hands, and began moving his face toward hers.

"What are y-"

"Still." He paused his advance to give the command but his tone was gentle.

Unsure and nervous ocean blue met searing amber as he grew closer. Her face was warming at their closeness, she could feel his warm, silent breath on her cheek. Her breast heaved slightly as her heart hammered away, causing the silver teardrop necklace to rise and fall in its nest below her throat. Just before their noses touched, he tipped his chin to the left and pressed his cheek lightly against hers. She felt the muscles in his jaw tense as she erupted into a startled, breathy gasp into his ear. His skin was chilled to the touch but warmed quickly against her own heated face.

As if the embarrassment of that singular moment wasn't enough, he slid his cheek against hers again as he pulled away, locked eyes with her again and then repeated the intimate gesture on her left cheek as well. She watched with fascination as his magenta stripes passed through her field of vision and found her fingers itching to feel them, test their texture. Kagome closed her eyes to stop her traitorous mind from enjoying the view as his cascade of silver hair fell like a river of snow down his back, begging to be touched. When he had nearly reached her ear after caressing her left cheek, she involuntarily sniffed his neck and then froze, mortified at her own actions. He smelled like cedar, or something similar, and there was more. Something herbal? It was pleasant… and surprising.

_'I've been hanging out with dogs too much!'_

Whether he realized what she had done or not, her punishment was the feeling of him sliding his jaw downward across her chin and when something textured, warm, and wet met the column of her throat and directly over her pulse point, she squeaked in a very girlish way. He did not stop but pressed forward, sliding his tongue down Kagome's throat almost to her collarbone. Finally satisfied, apparently, in thoroughly embarrassing her, the priestess felt Sesshoumaru began to straighten and pull away. He might have smiled at the open mouthed, cherry-red, thousand-yard stare on the young woman's face if such a response had been appropriate.

"What-," she cleared the rasp of the shock from her throat. "What was that? Did you just **lick** me?"

"Physically, yes. A scent mark is required for the Council members to recognize your place in my home."

"A hug wouldn't do? **Anything else** wouldn't do?" Her hands came up to verify her face had not, in fact, burst into flame.

"Not to guarantee the level of protection we want them to assume is yours. Such an action is common to us. Do not touch or This One will have to repeat it."

Her hands snapped back to her sides.

"Can you please warn me before you do that again?"

"Such a thing will never again be necessary. Before we enter, I must ask you to shield your aura. No matter what is said, what insults may come, you must not lose control or give them cause to retaliate. Much more is at stake than your pride."

"I'll behave if they will." She crossed her delicate arms, embarrassment forgotten, and tucked her chin as her eyebrows drew together and a frown formed. Insulting her would be neither here nor there but she wouldn't let them drag her late husband's memory through the racist, youkai mud.

"You would sentence the Captain to death for your temper? It is his responsibility to protect you in front of the Council. If you disobey my request, I will not."

Kagome realized Sesshoumaru wasn't trying to be overbearing, per se, but responsible. He was Lord here and misunderstandings would reflect badly on him, potentially for centuries, if she made a critical mistake. The priestess looked back at Ren who was standing mutely at the wall behind them, eyes glowing a pale spring green in the shadow of the hallway. When he met her gaze, Kagome knew she could keep herself under control for his sake if not her own.

"I promise to keep my temper and my reiki under my control. Sorry."

He nodded his acceptance. "Very well. When we enter, I will introduce the Lords and their accompaniment. Then you will sit to my right. Captain, remain just behind her but alert. You may stand to give your testimony."

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama." Ren bowed.

"Come."

Sesshoumaru turned around and opened the doors before him. He felt her power ghost across his back and noticed the sudden absence of her scent more so than the barrier she had placed around her person. Taking a deeper breath than was necessary at the hope that this would go well, he steeled his resolve and expression and strode forward.

Kagome took small steps and followed mutely behind. The level of power she would be forced to expend for the short time they would be here shouldn't tax her. Now that reiki coated her body like a second skin, she felt more comfortable. The sensation was like nestling under the thick, pink quilt of her childhood bedroom: slightly stifling but immensely reassuring.

The room they entered was large but oddly square. Aside from the pots of greenery present in the two closest corners, only a bookshelf lined with scrolls sat at the far rear. The walls were decorated with stunning paintings of vistas in many different climates and in the center of the room was a low and massive circular table. The Cardinal Council table was highly polished and the dark wood that made up the entire surface was a stark contrast to the wide scrollwork of bone inlay that divided its surface into four equal wedges. In each section was a symbol Kagome assumed was the mark of each daiyoukai house.

Lady Kikuko sat informally behind the section inlaid with a large crescent moon and was leaning forward on the table as she sipped from a demure indigo cup. Her pelt was slung around her shoulders as Kagome remembered and she was shamelessly pressing her generous breasts forward as she sipped the steaming tea.

Everyone else was a mystery to her. While the Lady Mother had rapidly schooled her on the Lands and rulers, she had not been specific enough about how ethereal and intimidating they would be. Kagome found herself in a room full of gods on earth, and was stricken with a feeling of 'otherness' once again. Ren sat down well behind Kikuko, after bowing his acknowledgment to the other rulers present and Kikuko herself. Kagome took a deep breath and glanced out of the corner of her eye to see Sesshoumaru stand beside the Lady Mother and waited for her to join him.

"This Sesshoumaru presents the Shikon no Miko, Kagome, guest of the silver inu and witness in the matter of the succession of the West."

Kagome bowed low and then straightened. A harsh and low voice filled the room from across the table.

"Finally, Sesshoumaru. We understand that humans are slow-witted but they apparently relish in keeping their betters waiting. Your pet seems to be unaware that we all have better things to do than delay our Council so a human can attempt to make herself presentable."

_'I promised not to, I promised not to… Just let it go.'_ she reminded herself.

Looking in his direction, Kagome noted the emblem inlaid in the table: four thin wedges pointed toward each other like an upper and lower set of fangs. It looked familiar but she couldn't place it…

The steward from the East, Ryouzou, sneered, raising his chin and tapping the smoking pipe he held curtly on the table. His waist-length ebony hair was tucked neatly behind him and piercing silver eyes narrowed on the young priestess who was quietly adjusting herself. The steward wore a sleeveless, high-necked changpao in a deep crimson. His exposed arms were trailed in a curling, smoke-like pattern in a pale silver. He was intimidating and proud, in stark contrast to the heir sitting to his right who wore the same style but in a pure white, covered in silver embroidery of battling dragons over high mountains.

Kouhei, she remembered. The young heir seated next to the stern steward was tall but had the uneasy and gangly countenance of a teenager that was even younger than Ren or Kenshin. The pale skin and silver coloring of his hair was startlingly similar to Sesshoumaru but with one crucial difference: the crimson eyes that found Kagome's were nearly glowing from within… and they were sad.

Snapped out of her review of the Eastern party, the miko decided against purification in favor of placating the Lord who was certain she was as stupid as she was late.

"My apologies, my Lords and Ladies, but my injuries prevent me from moving about on my own. My tardiness will not reflect poorly on my host, I hope." Kagome offered, then bowed at the table. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Kikuko quirk the corner of her mouth up just slightly and was glad not to have made matters worse.

The wild-looking, tanned daiyoukai to their right spoke up with a smile.

"Do not worry, little one, we were not waiting long, whatever the grumpy Dragon would have you believe."

The Northern Lord, she remembered. Though he did not carry the mark on his brow, the inlay of the three nestled and wispy 'V' shapes on top of one another reminded her of tiger stripes. She realized he had the same stripes on his cheekbones. The stunning female youkai next to him glared in her direction as Kagome was caught staring. Katsurou continued, unaware of his Mate's threatening expression.

"Ha, but perhaps her tardiness was not her own doing? She carries your scent very strongly, Sesshoumaru. Does the young Lordling have the proclivities of his late father, I wonder?"

Kagome's eyes went wide and she looked down to the floor.

_'Did he just-?! The only thing Sesshoumaru is likely to do to me involves poison and a sword... again.'_

"**Katsurou**," Kikuko cut in with a warningly sing-song voice, "please refrain from such vulgar insinuations. The miko is here as a witness and nothing more. Though why she is necessary, I cannot guess. I am sure Sesshoumaru will inform us eventually."

When Ryouzou opened his long-fanged mouth to speak again, Sesshoumaru cut him off.

"Indeed. The priestess is a guest of This Sesshoumaru and is here to give testimony in the matter of the Western heir. Tradition dictates that, first, the other packs have the right to declare their inheritance. Fushijirou and Samidori of the South, would you like to begin?"

Kagome turned her attention to the left of Sesshoumaru and noticed the inlay before them was a vertical marquise symbol in a fiery red. Her eyes found the Lord of the South and she immediately liked him. His unruly ruff of golden yellow hair was combed straight back and at the center of his brow was, indeed, a glittering red marquise-shaped jewel. His skin was darkly tanned, and he wore only a thin black kimono and an easy smile.

Fushijirou seemed young compared to Sesshoumaru and Ryouzou, and without the seriousness that she assumed came from being a Lord. His Mate, Samidori, was quiet and seemed hesitant to speak. Not out of fear or subjugation, but her eyes spoke volumes for her. Glittering crimson eyes and the same shining emerald hair as the younger man next to her at the table. They looked very much alike but the son had inherited the easy and mischievous smile of his father. Kikuko had not told her the name of this son, but only the name of the female heir.

"A pleasure, Sesshoumaru. We have flown far to confirm in this matter what most of you already know. Our eldest daughter, Hin, and her Mate, Ietsuna, will one day rule the South when our wings no longer carry us over the mortal plane. They have only recently celebrated their first clutch and are expecting three chicks of their own." he beamed proudly. His Mate smiled silently at his side. "Due to this, they are absent but send their regards for a prosperous year."

"Truly, Father? You could have told me before now!" Kouji leaned forward over the table and grinned widely at his father.

"Quiet, Kouji. There was not time. We will discuss the matter in detail later, my son." The phoenix's tone was sharp but his smile remained. "If you spent less time writing and more time with your family, you might learn news as it happens." He shook his golden hair with a flourish and leveled a pointed look at his distractible son.

_'Kami, they're just like humans. I've had that same talk with Momma many times: family over Feudal Era.'_

"Very well. Convey This Sesshoumaru's regards for safety and prosperity in the coming year."

"It will be done, Lord of the West."

Sesshoumaru nodded his ascent and moved on. Fushijirou settled back on his elbows away from the table and cocked a leg up, unconcerned anymore about the room in general.

"Who speaks for the East?"

"This Ryouzou speaks for the East, still, Sesshoumaru. Kouhei-sama is not yet able to take the mantle of leadership for himself."

The pale youth at the black dragon's side wilted slightly but Kagome watched his brow furrow as he looked down.

"As such, another year passes under the watchful eye of the steward!" the Northern Lord cut in, eyes full of laughter.

Ryouzou leveled a glare at the tiger daiyoukai to his left and raised his chin, nostrils flaring and exhaling the smoke from his ebony pipe. Sesshoumaru stopped the argument before it could begin.

"Indeed. Please continue, Ryouzou."

The Dragon steward's voice was gravelly with anger as he growled but continued, and it leveled out into the smooth timbre of a politician as he went on.

"His schooling will continue but his health remains a concern. Training was put on hold indefinitely last month. We are seeking more information on his condition but so far have nothing but the rumors of humans to go on. Such an affliction still baffles us but we will carry on with his preparation for ascension regardless. As he is too young yet to take a Mate, we are entertaining offers but have no plans in the next century to enter into an agreement. His younger brother is in excellent health and continues to grow. We believe now that he has inherited the powers of their late father and shows great promise in the art of youki manipulation."

Kagome's curiosity had her sitting forward to study the heir to the North more closely. If only she could use her reiki to inspect him, she might have some twentieth century information that could help the young demon. Knowing that was suicide at the moment, she left it alone and refocused.

_'Maybe I can find him later. Only one more house to go, then I'll have to speak…'_ Kagome lamented.

"You believe the North is secure, then, Ryouzou?"

"As long as the putrid mortals keep to themselves, very secure, Sesshoumaru."

_'Putrid mortals? Does he mean humans?'_

When the dragon's silver eyes found and surveyed her with disgust, Kagome had to mentally berate herself out of rolling her own.

_'Of course he means humans.'_

"Very well. Katsurou and Haruna of the North, what decision have you made regarding your heir?"

"So formal, Sesshoumaru." Katsurou smirked and leaned forward to brace both tanned forearms on the table. "We have all discussed the matter at length and decided to name Akio's son, Kazumitsu, as the next heir. He is young at less than three hundred years old but skilled, and he inherited his grandsire's penchant for thunder. Ha!" He laughed as he smacked the table, startling Samidori and Kouhei into looking up.

Haruna smiled at her boisterous Mate and rubbed her cheek and shoulder against his.

"Indeed. And he puts his knowledge to good use scaring the claws out of his younger siblings. He is quite the stealthy cub. We expect great things from him." Haruna offered boldly.

"Forgive me, Katsurou, but a grandson? I admit my knowledge of the ways of felines is lacking but why the change of line? The right of succession should go to your next eldest son, should it not?" Fushijirou asked, sitting up and confused.

"Nao has refused and I do not blame him. All of my sons now wish to be free and live away from the North. After the hanyou attacked and killed so many, and Hiki was left a widow, their families refused to risk such a thing again. Only Hiki, Akio's Mate if you remember, understood the need to honor him by continuing the line. I accept her decision but should it change, we will notify you."

Sesshoumaru was struck by the faint scent of wood ashes and salt from over his right shoulder. Closing his own eyes briefly in remembrance, he knew what to expect without looking at the miko. He had not told her all the facts of his late brother's rampage.

"Ah, so the human did not know. His hesitation and apathy cost many innocent lives, priestess." Katsurou pointed a finger at Sesshoumaru in accusation.

"He… what?"

"The miko did not know, Katsurou. He hid his affliction well. Even from his wife." Sesshoumaru said.

"What Mate does not know when the other is in pain? The Bond must have been very weak. I supposed he **was** only a hanyou." Haruna scoffed.

"They were not Mated. He was unaware of the practice."

"The Western heir was unaware of the Mating Bond? Sesshoumaru, how could you have named him heir without educating him on the most basic traditions?" Katsurou was taken aback.

"You named Inuyasha your heir?" Watery, cerulean eyes looked up at him in disbelief.

"Yes. It was This One's intent to educate him in the future. He could not have ruled as he was."

"Did he know?"

"No. He did not. A small human village and a vast cardinal land are not the same. He was not ready."

"Is that why you killed him?" Ryouzou accused loudly. "It was never your intention to truly name him heir, Sesshoumaru. Admit it. No Lord would leave the only living heir so ignorant of our ways."

"His death was necessary but only because he had lost control of himself and would never regain it." Sesshoumaru took a moment to center his emotions. "Many of you are unaware but the Inu no Taishou had a unique ability-" Sesshoumaru began.

"Sesshoumaru, do not. It is not relevant." Kikuko warned, narrowing her golden eyes at her stoic son.

"It is, mother, and you will know why. Inuyasha inherited my father's ability to drain the energy of other youkai, and the hanyou used it to murder hundreds. His half-human body could not withstand the youki he had gathered, however, and he was overcome. In the end, he was a beast of instinct alone with no mind of his own."

Kikuko gasped and the other Lords leaned forward to openly argue.

"Lies!" "The bastard was only half-demon!" "Insanity!"

"It is true, if you will permit me, my Lords." Ren interrupted, rising from the floor.

"And who is this whelp, Sesshoumaru? The Council seems full of interlopers this year."

"This is Ren, Captain of the Southwestern Guard, an expert in youki manipulation trained by This One, and the soldier I assigned to assess Inuyasha's affliction. I met the hanyou outside Niigata where he told me of his loss of control and the belief that his youki was overpowering him. I did not realize at the time that he was correct."

"What youki could he possibly house in a half-human body? I have never heard of such a thing." Fushijirou asked.

Ren planted his feet, bowed, and began.

"The hanyou Inuyasha employed himself killing bestial youkai that targeted human settlements nearby. It is my belief that this employment allowed him passive use of his new ability to gather small amounts of youki over the course of several months."

"And he just decided to use this new power now? Why?" Fushijirou questioned.

"Inuyoukai usually come by their abilities around their three hundredth year. Inuyasha was three hundred and twelve when he died. It is my belief that his ability was dormant until only recently." Sesshoumaru answered calmly.

"You knew how old he was?" Kagome asked, surprised. "Even he didn't know for sure."

Sesshoumaru nodded and found her eyes with his own. "I did." He was unsurprised when she gave him a small smile and her stormy eyes glistened with happiness that someone had known. "Please continue, Captain."

"Of course, Sesshoumaru-sama." Ren looked to the daiyoukai around the table. "I met Inuyasha in the forest outside Niigata and after some discussion about his life prior to the episodes, as he called them, we began with some basic training to ascertain his abilities and the level of youki at his disposal. I found that his body had absorbed more energy than he could hope to control and it had accelerated his physical maturity. It flared wildly without his consent and he spent considerable energy trying to control it. He was physically exhausted.

During our meeting, I had the idea to use his blood to call up his youki as we do with pups. We had made it no farther than a basic discussion of the theory when he lost control. I witnessed his transformation… and the agony of it." He heard Kagome gasp quietly in front of him but refused to look down. "Without an outlet for the youki he was gathering, it was causing a transformation in him into a primal youkai ruled by instinct. He asked me during the transformation where something was but I never caught what he requested."

"Tessaiga." Kagome whispered.

"What, human?" The phoenix asked.

"Te- Tessaiga. It was a gift, a sword, from his father to help him control his demonic blood. He-" Kagome paused, swallowing the lump in her throat. She looked pleadingly up at Sesshoumaru. "I can't do this. Please. You know more about it than I do. I can't listen to this anymore."

"You must. I cannot."

"Indeed, little one. I, for one, do not believe Sesshoumaru was as forthcoming about the hanyou's condition. Had we all known what was happening, we might have been prepared."

"You mean that if Lord Sesshoumaru had sent letters telling you that a hanyou was rampaging through the West, you would have given him any credit for being sane? You would have taken it seriously?"

"Perhaps, priestess, if we had been given the chance! Know your place!" The Northern Lord yelled.

The others all remained silent and Kagome found the room suffocating. Sesshoumaru broke the silence with reason.

"There was not time. The Captain's assessment was a mere day after I met with Inuyasha, only a day before he made his way to the North, and from there I hunted him until two days ago."

"If I may, my Lord?" Ren asked.

"Continue."

"After his transformation was complete, he attacked me with greater speed that he should have been capable of. As he sunk claws into my left arm, I felt my youki leave me nearly entirely. He-" Ren squinted his eyes against the feeling of the ripping flesh resurfacing. "-he took my left arm and the separation gave me a chance to get away and make it back here. Had I remained on the ground, I am certain he would have killed me. He stole my katana from the campsite and headed into the woods. I returned here and gave my report to Lord Sesshoumaru."

Finished with his part, Ren settled back against the wall and watched Kagome's back as she tried to regain her composure, wishing he had prepared her.

"I was wondering how a Captain in Sesshoumaru's impressive army managed to get such a position with only one arm. That explains it."

"The Captain **maintains** his position by his own merits, not This Sesshoumaru's charity, Katsurou."

"Well, you must have a soft spot for the boy or else he might have been replaced by now. But I suppose the guardian of a human is a fitting way to keep him out of sight." Ryouzou nodded.

_'I expected them to hate me because I'm a human but now they're picking on one of their own!'_

"So, the half-breed loses control, maims your Captain, kills my son and heir to the North, and then ransacks a human castle and you think merely ending him was enough?" Katsurou accused, golden eyes narrowing.

"What else is there to do? What's worse than death?" Kagome questioned, nervous but confused.

"He deserved to pay for his crimes against us, human. He should have been brought here for us to satisfy blood payment. Instead, you ended him yourselves, out of sight, far away from the Palace and those who would have demanded restitution. You are clever, Sesshoumaru."

"Sesshoumaru-sama waited in the valley to lure him there away from everyone else! He wasn't trying to hide or deceive you all, he was trying to prevent further loss of life! Inuyasha didn't mean for this to happen… He had no idea what his father was capable of. We had no warning! Torturing him wouldn't have changed anything! It's barbaric!" Kagome yelled.

"You dare let your human pet reprimand us at the Council table?!" Ryouzou spat at Sesshoumaru.

Ren sat forward, ready to remove her from the room should the discussion become too heated. Sesshoumaru broke through the yelling to explain.

"This human is here as a witness and she may speak when evidence is required." He glared at Kagome, reinforcing the command. "She was present during the battle when Inuyasha was defeated. She is a priestess of great power and tried in vain to stop him without ending his life. In the end, he would not be saved from himself and his death was the only course of action left to us."

"Only course left for **you**, you mean, Sesshoumaru. Now, what shall the West do? There are no silver inu left and the wolves have become nomads. The once-mighty canines of the island are nothing now, also thanks to your late father." Ryouzou continued to press.

"Silence!" Kikuko spat. "The past should not be resurrected to rule the future. What's done is done."

"Ah, but is it? Is the human carrying the spawn of the hanyou? Will this familial insanity continue?" Ryouzou sneered.

"I'm not pregnant, if that's what you're asking." Kagome sat forward and crossed her arms, tired of being silent.

"There. A small mercy at last." Kikuko sighed.

"And we are certain he is dead?" Fushijirou asked innocently.

Sesshoumaru was quiet for a moment. Kagome found her eyes glancing sideways toward the clawed hands of her tablemate. So delicate and innocent as they sat benignly folded in his lap. They suddenly clenched into fists as he prepared to answer. Her eyes found his for a second and then she looked back to the floor, unable to stop the evidence of her sadness from running down her face. Sesshoumaru locked eyes with the Lord of the South and spoke.

"I killed him myself, Fushijirou. He is dead, I assure you."

Kagome was shaking her head, trying to stop the sob from breaking free of her throat.

"My apologies, Sesshoumaru. I am sorry but relieved." the phoenix answered.

"And the so-called priestess could do nothing? Could not heal him or purify him in your stead?" Ryouzou questioned. "The Mate of a hanyou couldn't possibly retain her purity anyhow. I have heard that is why all human priestesses remain unwed."

"That's male egos talking, and not the truth." Kagome's eyes went hard. "How could I possibly purify my own husband? Could you murder your Mates? Any of your loved ones?"

"Miko. Be still."

"I sense nothing from her," the dragon pressed again. "It is far more likely that she simply lacked the ferocity to do what was required and had to rely on you. I expect you were more than happy to comply, eh, Sesshoumaru? The half-breed was a blight on your pristine heritage and you sought to end him, heir or no."

"Enough!" Kagome leaned forward and her aura wavered forcefully at the edge of her control. Sesshoumaru felt the swell of purity next to him and looked over at her, shaking his head. Her eyes welled with tears at her lack of control and the weakness she couldn't keep hidden. "Inuyasha was a hanyou, yes. Fine! But Sesshoumaru did not kill him without cause. He had… become something horrible. Something he would never have wanted to be. The monster that we met in the valley two days ago," she pointed an accusatory finger towards the south, "was not my husband. He was completely ruled by his demonic blood and he… he wanted to die after Sesshoumaru-sama bested him. He **asked me** to let him die. I didn't want to believe it or accept it at the time. But he is right." she said, looking at Sesshoumaru, speaking only to him now. "Inuyasha was right. It was the right thing to do. If we had allowed him to live, if I had healed him, if we had tried to teach him to control it, or if we had sealed his demonic aura; we'd only end up back here some other year and have to face these consequences all over again."

Tears were running freely down her face as she finished. Tears for accepting the truth, tears at admitting Sesshoumaru had been right, and tears for realizing it herself only now in front of a room full of strangers who were completely unaffected.

"Funny that you mentioned attempting to seal him. I seem to recall he was sealed before the destruction of the other rabid half-breed? That, too, must run in the family. After all, Sesshoumaru himself was-"

Sesshoumaru's low warning growl was barely heard by the miko to his right but everyone else in the room got the message. "That information is irrelevant to this discussion, steward."

Kagome then turned to Katsurou, bowing low to the floor beside the table.

"I am so, so sorry for what happened to your son and your family. Inuyasha would never have done such a thing in his right mind, I promise you. He was sweet and brave and honorable, and I know this doesn't make up for what happened but I am sorry."

"Miko, you surprise me. No, it does not make up for his violence to my cub but I am satisfied with your apology on his behalf." Katsurou waited for her to sit upright before continuing. "However, there is still the matter of my blood payment, Sesshoumaru. I have not forgotten."

"Continue, Katsurou." Sesshoumaru said guardedly.

"I cannot, Lord of the West. You have no heir for me to exact my vengeance upon. But one day, when you do, know that my claws are waiting for him."

"What?" Kagome gaped. "You are demanding the life of a child that doesn't exist yet? He can do that?" She turned shocked and appalled cerulean eyes to Sesshoumaru.

"He can. Though it hardly seems appropriate given that such an heir may never exist. You hinge your blood payment on the future, Katsurou, which I have no control over."

"I agree. And you assume, naïvely, that you will live forever and have refused to take a Mate and secure your line." Katsurou crossed his arms and leaned back. "So, what now will you do?"

"Now, now, my Lords." Kikuko spoke up "There is no need for such words. My Sesshoumaru is in the peak of health and virility and will soon choose a Mate of his own, I am sure. Though who would accept him now with a death sentence hanging over their firstborn, I cannot guess. Katsurou, can I prevail upon you to reconsider? Might there be another way?"

"Perhaps." The tiger grinned and ran his tongue over the pointed tip of a fang. "You keep another human pet here, do you not?"

"He does keep another human child here. Why?" Kikuko narrowed her eyes in curiosity.

"I would accept her life in payment instead of the heir you may never have, if that is preferable."

Katsurou waited as the Western Lord met eyes the same golden color of his own. The tiger knew he was playing a dangerous game but he was willing to take the risk for the ultimate prize.

"Rin? He wants to kill Rin?! She's an innocent child. She has nothing to do with this! Sesshoumaru, don't-"

"Be silent! You have no rights in this matter. Control yourself or else you may leave, if the Lords are now satisfied in the matter of the hanyou's death."

Kagome flinched and gasped at his explosion. He had been he picture of calm up until now but with Rin's life on the line, his anger was getting the better of him. If Katsurou pushed, he would be honor bound to agree.

A chorus of nods and affirmations went around the room that the miko could be excused. Sesshoumaru stood and surprised Kagome by offering her his hand and lifting her from the floor. His hand was slightly damp and overly warm, and she realized he was as troubled as she was by the turn in the discussion.

However, Sesshoumaru let go too soon and she was falling as the pins and needles of the extended seiza overpowered her strength to stand. Ren had been watching and stood in time to see her start to crumple again. Even with only one arm, he was quick to catch her middle and keep her upright.

"Sorry, Captain. I guess I'm a little worn out still."

"It is no trouble, Kagome-sama. We will go, my Lord, if that is acceptable."

"Why do we not all take a break? These four walls are beginning to close in on me." Katsurou grinned.

"Very well. Return within the hour and then we will conclude for the day." Sesshoumaru nodded and everyone relaxed and began to leave.

Out in the hallway, Kagome began to cry silently nestled in Ren's arm.

"That cannot have been easy to hear. I am sorry I did not think to warn you beforehand."

"I know you didn't mean to upset me. I just feel so useless all over again. They're right: what wife wouldn't know such a thing? How did I miss all the signs that he was in pain? All of this, everything that's happened is all my fault for not helping him sooner."

"You know as well as I, now, that this could not have been changed. I have never encountered such am affliction before. Sesshoumaru-sama agreed that the ability was a formidable one. We all thought it unique to the Great General. If it helps, he spoke fondly of you when we met. He wanted very much to return to you. I wanted to meet you one day after hearing the tale of your courage and bravery. One day, I still hope to meet that miko when you have had time to heal."

"She's a mess right now." Kagome hiccuped from his chest. "She can't do anything for herself and she's a burden to everyone, but I hope she comes back, too."

A watery smile was his reward for trying to comfort her as they made their way back to the infirmary.

...

**AN:** We're getting there! There is more to the meeting coming up next and some breathing room for Kagome. I wanted to make it all one chapter but it was getting too long. How do you like the Council? :) Hope everyone is well and safe and can find some TP!


	19. Chapter 19 - Starting All Over Again

**Author's Note:** I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 19 - Starting All Over Again**

"Momma!"

Shippou saw Kagome being carried by the Captain down the breezeway toward their new room and left the game he was playing with Rin in the courtyard to scamper excitedly over to her. A few hours had passed, just as she said they would, but now they could stay together until she was well enough to return home. Rin and Tomomi were okay company but Kagome was **his**, was familiar, and knew how to challenge him and navigate his developing instincts. The deer youkai Kagome had left them with was okay but too mild and meek to make a good playmate.

"Hey, kiddo! How's your morning been? Mine was a disaster." Kagome said, to which Ren let out an indelicate snort over her head.

"Fun! Rin showed me how to play a game where you skip rocks and try to knock them out of a circle. She won't let me use youki though so she's winning. You look pretty!"

"Thank you! I can't wait to get out of this mess though. And using youki would be a bit like cheating since Rin can't, don't you think? Think of it as a challenge. More training for your sloppy aim." She winked at him.

"Maybe… but I just wanted to try a new trick and make myself the rock. That wasn't one of the rules. Wait, 'sloppy'?! Keh! **You're** the one who lost six arrows in the same day because you kept getting distracted while Inuyasha was chopping wood!" Tiny clawed hands folded over his jacket and ticked his chin up and away from her.

"Yeah, well…" Kagome exhaled a ghost of a laugh.

Shippou had said his name so easily, like he was still around. Like the event repeating itself was still a possibility. The tears were slow in coming but they were there nonetheless. Shippou looked down as the familiar scent of salt found his nose, sorry for upsetting her and coming to same realization that those moments of family intimacy including Inuyasha were over. From her place still tucked into Ren's arm, Kagome shook her head and cleared her throat, adopting a smile and determined to work past it.

"Well, if it wasn't one of the rules, maybe we can convince her to let you try. Can you show me?" The kit looked up and brightened a little. "Ren, I'd like to stand again, or try to anyway. You have to be tired of carrying me around."

"It is no trouble but here you are." He gently let her feet down, holding a silk-clad elbow as she tested her strength. "Be careful. I shall be here." _'Watching your back.'_ he added only to himself.

The young inudaiyoukai was much more aware than Kagome of the attitudes swirling around the council room. Hatred, anger, bitterness, and total indifference, which could be just as dangerous to her. He sat underneath the overhang at the edge of the courtyard and watched the miko openly hugging her son and the young Lady in the bright sunshine of the late autumn day. His eyes took in how giddy and unguarded she was as she played earnestly with the children. He took a deep sniff of the air breezing across the mountain to make sure the area was clear and caught the calming scent of lavender growing in strength. It was strong and warm. And coming from the miko. Her love, he concluded. Over a simple game with two orphaned children in a courtyard surrounded by youkai. There was no end to the mysteries of this woman.

Assured that she was safe for the moment, he unbound his sword and laid it across the finery covering his legs, relaxing in the filtered sunshine at the edge of the gardens. Ren turned his wintry head left to test the air and then right but stiffened as the scent of the Northern Lord came across the courtyard. The Captain was up and at the miko's side before she realized he had stood.

"Oh! Captain, is everything okay?" Kagome's eyes were wide but still smiling from playing with the children.

"We have company, Kagome-sama. Be calm." Ren lowered his voice, hoping not to alarm her charges.

"What? Who-"

Katsurou joined them silently and impossibly quickly. He was at her back before she had finished her question.

"Hello, priestess. Enjoying the day?"

"Eep!"

Without any warning of his approach, her reiki reacted involuntarily and flared wildly. The buffeting effect knocked Katsurou back a step and he widened his stance to stop from falling over. The folds of his golden silk kimono fluttered wildly around his arms and waist but remained locked in place by his black leather chest plate.

"Ha! A formidable priestess indeed! Finally, some proof of the pup's wild claims." he exclaimed, smiling.

"I'm so sorry! You surprised me, Katsurou-sama!" Kagome bowed in apology, not sure what else to do when one nearly scorches the Lord of the North.

"No harm done, little one." He casually shook his black boots and hakama clean of the dirt that had gathered as he slid. "I have faced worse from Sesshoumaru himself recently. My leg is still occasionally sore." He shook his mane of wild black hair and grinned at Kagome's confused look.

"Can I help you with something, Lord Katsurou?" Kagome asked, head tilted slightly. She stepped between the tiger and the children and felt Ren sidle closer up behind her.

"No. I was merely wishing to speak with you about This One's behavior this morning. I am afraid I gave the impression of harshness when I merely let my grief get to me. Speaking of Akio's death once again reminded me of emotions I thought I had caged."

He lowered his head in a shallow bow for just a moment and Kagome grew slightly suspicious of his intent. To find her out here and away from the others, just to apologize for his attitude, seemed a convenient excuse.

"I understand that right now, believe me. Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Lord Katsurou. May I ask **you** something now? Actually, hold on. Shippou, honey, we'll be right back. Stay here with Ren-taii, okay?" She leaned down and patted his back.

"Okay, Momma…" His round, deep green eyes found the cat's and narrowed only slightly.

Katsurou raised an eyebrow at the possessiveness the kit displayed over a human. Something about this miko inspired guardianship in those around her. He observed the Captain standing over her left shoulder ready to leap into action and the kit, 'Shippou' he heard the cub was called, was keeping his attention only half on the game that the pup's pet girl was trying to play. Perhaps, Sesshoumaru, too, would be inspired in such a way if the toradaiyoukai executed his plan correctly. It would expedite his desired outcome considerably.

"Perhaps I should stay with you, my Lady." Ren tried, refitting his sword into his obi and very curious himself about what the Lord of the North wanted.

"I'll be fine. I'd rather you stay with the children, please." She tried to communicate with her eyes that she was more worried about the children than herself. He nodded, understanding.

"Of course." Green eyes connected with Katsurou's for a split second before he turned around, flashing a fanged grin. "Have you two ever played 'Hide the Button'? This garden is perfect for it. No using your nose, though, Shippou-kun…"

"I can't just turn off my nose, Ren." Shippou threw him a look that said 'duh' and Rin giggled.

Kagome watched as Ren took over, herded the kids away, and only then did she walk a few steps away with Katsurou.

"What can I help **you** with, Lady Miko?" the daiyoukai asked, clasping tawny hands behind his back.

"Kagome, please," she said with an easy smile but it vanished almost as quickly as it had come. Her eyes steeled over and the miko squared her jaw and lifted her chin to question him, "and I want to know **why exactly** you feel the need to ask for Rin's life when she is neither his heir nor his blood? You may not know it, but that little girl has led a much harder life than most and she should not be the target of your revenge, whatever your customs. It is appalling asking for revenge on the unborn, for kami's sake, but then you want to murder the only thing Sesshoumaru-sama might have ever cared about in his whole life?"

"So forward, Kagome. Very well. Even Mated to a hanyou, we do not expect you to understand but a life for a life is fair payment for what we lost in order to maintain the balance of power. Akio was a fully realized heir with a Mate and cubs of his own. He was forced to leave them all behind because a half-breed pup lost his mind and felt the need to murder everything in his path to satisfy his instincts. If anything, I ask for too little. And I can guarantee you that she has not been the only recipient of Sesshoumaru's attentions in his long life." he finished with a knowing smile.

"Fine, she isn't, but that doesn't make it better. Please find another way. I'm sure Lord Sesshoumaru would be willing to give you pretty much anything else if you asked. Correct me if I'm wrong, but there aren't that many of you left are there? Daiyoukai? Sesshoumaru-sama said as much. If there are so few left, isn't blood payment a little more than you can all afford? Shouldn't traditions like those be in question, now, too?"

"I will not be the one to educate a human on daiyoukai customs, whatever your place in this house might be. But answer me this, little one: what would you do to keep that diminutive human from harm?" He pointed a tanned and ivory-clawed finger at Rin.

Her answer was immediate.

"Anything in my power. Rin is important to Sesshoumaru… Lord Sesshoumaru, and to my son, and to me and she doesn't deserve to die for something she had absolutely no part in. Those days of senseless death should be over for all of us."

"Very good!" He loudly clapped his hands together causing three heads to whip around and stare from across the courtyard. Kagome waved Ren off and they all went back to playing. "That's all I needed to know, Lady Miko. Now, won't you please join us for the rest of the meeting?"

"I would rather not, my Lord, if it's all the same to you. I don't need to hear more insults thrown at me or my late husband's name, and I have nothing left to say about the battle two days ago. You know everything I know now. I am beyond ready to leave as soon as I get the all clear."

"All the same, it would please This One for you to attend. Consider it a favor in payment of sparing the small human's life."

He left the statement hanging between them, waiting for her to catch on. He was not disappointed. Katsurou almost laughed aloud at the speed with which her expression changed from exasperation to tentative hope. Her scent left behind the spicy and sour notes of her anger and nervousness in favor of a sweeter, undefinable aroma that left him wanting to know her better. Caution joined the joy in her eyes, however, as she questioned him further.

"Let me get this straight: I go to the meeting and you won't kill her? Ever? She lives a full life? Who dies instead, Katsurou-sama? If it's so important, I can't believe you'd just let it go."

"On my honor as warden of the North, Kagome. I will not harm the child or anyone else over the matter if you come back to the Council table for the rest of the day and hear what I have to say."

"Done. On one condition."

"Conditions? Miko, you are a bold one. Let This Katsurou hear it and I shall decide." He folded his arms across his chest and waited.

"**You** have to tell Sesshoumaru I'm coming back." Kagome raised her chin and turned to walk to the children, steps light and happy now that Rin was safe.

"Ha! Little one, you are amusing!" Katsurou laughed behind her and turned to stalk back into the shadows of the Palace. "And let us hope you mean what you say…" he added quietly to himself.

…

Sesshoumaru sat quietly in his study over an empty table thinking over the events of the morning.

_'Rin.'_

Could they be reunited here only to be separated by death yet again? Could he justify the loss of hundreds in a senseless war to save her? No. Could he best the entirety of the Northern clan alone for her sake? Perhaps he would have to.

He could. His claws involuntarily flexed at the idea. Inhuman pupils contracted at the thought of bloodshed.

A knock interrupted his dark thoughts and mental preparation for murder in the North. The hated subject himself strolled in, looking much too pleased.

"I wish to be left alone." Sesshoumaru growled, not turning away from his desk. "I will rejoin the Council within the hour."

"Oh, do not be so quick to toss me out. I just had a pleasant talk with your young priestess and we came to an agreement that should please you, Sesshoumaru."

The Lord of the West turned irritated golden eyes on Katsurou. "What would please This Sesshoumaru most at this moment is for you to begone."

The tiger picked up an errant scroll from a side table and turned it over in his hands. "I have agreed to relinquish my claim on your small human's life. What say you now?"

"Why?" Sesshoumaru narrowed his gaze on the toradaiyoukai.

Katsurou gave nothing away as he spoke again.

"The miko has agreed to do whatever was necessary to assure her life. She will join us for the rest of the meeting."

"Hn. Her presence at the Council is not necessary but what must the miko do to save Rin's life?"

"I shall tell you this afternoon but I wanted to let you know she **would** be present. She requested that I give you the news in her stead."

Thoughts raced through his mind about what scheme the tiger Lord had concocted. The memory of the Captain's report surfaced and his suspicion grew.

"Excuse me."

With no warning, Sesshoumaru was up and gone from the room and Katsurou dropped the scroll back on the table and strode out happily, off to find his wayward Mate and occupy the rest of the hour.

…

Kagome was helping Rin look for the hidden button when a familiar but oppressive aura appeared at her back and set her senses on overdrive out of an innate sense of self-preservation. She ducked and covered her head with one arm then covered Rin with the other as a breeze from Sesshoumaru's substantial youki settled around them. Seeing that it was actually him and not someone else trying to stop her heart **this** time, she stood and checked Rin over out of habit before glaring at him.

"What the hell, Sesshoumaru?! Why is everyone in such a damn hurry today?"

"What was said between you and the Northern Lord?"

"Hi, how are you? Oh, I'm fine, thanks for asking. Sorry for almost knocking you over, Kagome." the miko said sarcastically, tired of these demons and their disregard for her personal space today.

Rin was trying and failing not to look appalled at the way the miko was speaking to her Lord.

"Rin." He barked, not taking his eyes from the priestess who was now indignantly staring him down above crossed arms.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin beamed brightly from beside Kagome.

"The button is in the fork of the cherry tree ten steps to the north."

"Thank you, milord!" she giggled and went off happily to win the game.

When she disappeared, he leveled Kagome with a glare but she was too busy hiding her mouth with a sleeve and stifling a laugh.

"Miko."

"How did you know where it was? And that's cheating, by the way."

"Miko!" he growled.

"What?" she groaned. "I didn't purify anyone this morning, I minded my manners for the most part, I'm still in this ridiculous kimono because **your mother** made me promise to 'remain presentable,' and now you've ruined our game. So, what have I done now?"

"Katsurou just came to see This Sesshoumaru and informed me you made a deal to save Rin. What was said?"

His face was taut as he leaned down ever so slightly to loom over her and she found the anxiety in his serious, golden eyes made her feel regret for having teased him. He was concerned for Rin's life and she was making jokes. Kagome blinked her mirth away, clasped her hands at her waist, and looked earnestly up at the Lord of West.

"He said all I had to do was come to the meeting this afternoon, listen to what he had to say, and he wouldn't kill her."

"Is that all?" Disbelieving eyes narrowed but her scent did not change. She was not lying.

"He asked me what I would do to save her life and I told him-"

"What did you tell him?"

"Let me finish… Anything. I'd do anything in my power to save her."

"Why?" Another sniff told him she, again, was not lying.

The sweet and metallic scent of her natural infusion of fresh rain mixed with the ionic sting of the impending storm rapidly approaching from the southeast and the combination did nothing to assuage the irritation growing within him.

"Why?" she parroted, disbelieving. "She's a child, Sesshoumaru. Just like Shippou." Kagome gestured to the kit behind her. "I'd give them a kidney if they asked me for it."

He straightened, satisfied with her answer and the validity of it, but was confused.

"Do humans make it a habit to donate organs in payment?"

He was surprised and frowned when she erupted in giggles at his question, but waited patiently for an answer.

"I'm sorry for laughing and no. No, they don't. It's just an expression meaning I'd do anything to see them safe and happy even if it cost me something precious. Satisfied?"

"Then you **will** be present this afternoon?"

Kagome tried not to make fun of him for sounding slightly unsure and anxious. She couldn't blame him. If the situation were reversed, and Shippou was in danger, she might be much less calm. **Had been** much less calm. What else was his mask of Lordly indifference hiding, she wondered?

"I will be there, yes. I won't run away to spite you. I'm a woman of my word."

"See that you are."

Kagome sighed and turned around to get back to the children and a shocked Ren, who had overheard the whole exchange.

"And, priestess?"

"What now, milord?" she said, exasperated.

"I thank you." He said quietly, inclining his head just to her before walking quickly back into the shadows of the overhang.

Kagome smiled and was glad she could do something useful for the first time since coming here. Returning to the children, Ren had a raised eyebrow and a look of disbelief waiting for her.

"Don't look at me like that. He deserved a little run-around for making me do this whole thing anyway."

"I can count on one hand, my only hand, the number of youkai who have spoken to him like that and still draw breath."

"I feel emboldened by the idea that he can't kill me until this afternoon at the earliest." she giggled and walked back over to the children, noticing the darkening sky and first telling gusts of wind from the south.

…

Kagome was finally feeling more secure in the strength of her legs after a few laps around the gardens, and some warm and satisfying lunch with Rin and Shippou. Once Tomomi was settled with the children once again, Ren and Kagome walked companionably back to the meeting room together.

"Do you feel stable now?" Ren asked from behind her, watching her steps for signs of fatigue.

"Finally, it seems like. Though I'll be more careful this time when it's over. How long will this afternoon last I wonder?"

"I do not know. I have never been required to attend in any capacity. Some years, Ryota-taishou is needed but not this year. Oh, and Kenshin would like me to remind you to come to the infirmary when you are finished. The worrywart wants to make sure you are healing properly."

"A good healer does. Help me remember to do that. But who's Ryota-taishou?"

"General Ryota is a kumadaiyoukai from the north serving under Sesshoumaru-sama. Have you not met him yet? I'll take you to the barracks when you are well so you can be introduced. I can show you the dojo while we are there."

"Good. I need to get back to training anyway as soon as I can. I feel doughy and weak. I miss my staff but that's too much yet. I could probably handle my bow now, though."

"'Doughy?' You have the most peculiar way of speaking at times, my Lady."

_'Oops.'_

"It comes from living in a remote village, I suppose." she tried, hoping he wouldn't ask for an explanation.

"I will try to find someone for you to train with. We don't have many females in the army but there are a few. Someone still in training might be able to spar with you."

"What about you?"

"I think not." Ren said quickly.

"Why?"

"You are human."

The lilt his voice took as he said it caused Kagome's eye to twitch. She raised her chin and the hair ornaments she wore flitted about for a moment.

"Ah, there's the attitude I expected after being raised by Sesshoumaru. I've been wondering where it was."

When Ren only blinked in confusion, she elaborated, stopping to turn and face him with a sly grin.

"If you're too scared to take me on, that's on you. I, for one, appreciate a challenge. I'll even promise to go easy on you. What do you say?"

"You are too headstrong for your own good. But I accept. I will not hold back as it is not in my nature. Expect to be disappointed, Kagome-sama."

His predatory, fanged smile gave her pause. It was easy to forget he was a daiyoukai when his manner was usually so jovial and familiar. Kagome shook her head at his confidence and heard Ren clear his throat as they started walking again and rounded the last corner.

"Miko-sama..." Ren began quietly.

"That pride is Sesshoumaru talking again-"

"My Lady, wait!"

"**Oof!**" She collided with a wall that was fluffy, very tall, and oddly standing in the middle of what should still have been an empty hallway. To her left, Ren looked terrified. The wall spoke after another moment.

"This One was not aware he was already speaking."

_'Oh shit. Why me?'_

Kagome took a large step back in mortified amusement.

"And you are late once again." He said, absently dusting away whatever debris she might have left on his voluminous pelt.

"I am so sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama. We were discussing-"

"The impossibility of your besting the Captain in combat?"

"It's not impossible." she said seriously. "And didn't someone once tell me to seek new masters? I'm merely taking his sage advice." Kagome grinned mischievously up at him, now fully recovered from her embarrassment.

Sesshoumaru considered her for a moment. She had displayed masterful skill with her reiki on the battlefield but average skill at best with the staff when he had observed her in the valley. Perhaps, however, she would not make a total fool of herself in front of his household for the few days she might be forced to remain.

"When she is recovered, you have my permission to take the miko to use the dojo once the soldiers are done for the day." Sesshoumaru spoke over her head to Ren, who only stiffly bowed in acknowledgement, still waiting for retribution over her collision with his person. Sesshoumaru took one more step over to her to speak quietly but was confused when she backed away in parallel.

"Are you going to lick me again?" she asked, grimacing.

When his jaw clenched and eyebrows furrowed, she realized she could've asked in a more delicate way.

"No, your position is established. A **scent mark** is no longer required." He exaggerated the words so she would understand his actions were normal and acceptable. He did not **lick** humans.

"Thank the kami for that. No offense." She held up placating hands.

He merely straightened himself and gathered her attention with the seriousness in his eyes.

"I will remind you once again not to lose your temper, release your aura, or otherwise give cause to end your life, do you understand? If not for your sake, then for Rin."

"I am in control of my emotions much more so than this morning. Though why I need to come at all is a mystery to me."

"Hn. But your agreement that no matter what is said, you will control yourself?"

"Yes, I will. Why? Do you know why I have to be here? What he wants?"

Ren and Sesshoumaru shared a look.

"I am not certain but Katsurou is not known for being forthcoming."

"Expect the unexpected then?"

"Hm."

When she nodded, Sesshoumaru opened the doors and walked in, his long, silver ponytail set into motion as he turned. The miko took a moment to shield herself with reiki once again, taking comfort in its slight recovery. Looking around the room, Kagome noticed everyone but the Northern party was present already. To Sesshoumaru's left, Kikuko looked bored and unamused by the human's re-entry.

"Sesshoumaru, dear, why is the human returning? I thought we were done with all that hanyou nonsense." Her claws flashed in the afternoon light as she waved a delicate and dismissive hand.

Kagome shuttered her eyes and allowed the insult and stab of grief to pass as she sat down as gracefully as she could on weak legs under thirty pounds of silk.

"The Lord of the North has requested her presence." Sesshoumaru told his mother as much as everyone else as he, too, effortlessly and silently settled back down to the table.

"Why, I wonder?" Fushijirou asked genuinely to Kikuko, still ignoring Kagome completely.

"Perhaps he will enlighten us when he deigns to grace us with his presence. Katsurou! Haruna! We are waiting only for you!" she spoke up, knowing his demonic hearing would pick up her request if he was anywhere on the ground floor.

Kagome and the young man from the South to her immediate right both jumped at the Lady Mother's loud yell. He and his crimson eyes were smiling when he recovered and Kagome found his gaze and smiled in return, shaking her head.

When Katsurou did not appear, Kikuko sighed and threw a disinterested-sounding request over her shoulder.

"Ren, dear, fetch the Northern Lord and his Mate. Gods know what they're up to in the Lord's quarters upstairs and so unable to join us."

"At once, Kikuko-sama."

Ren left on his errand and suddenly Kagome felt the pressure of being very much alone in the room despite the many youkai packed around the table. Swallowing the feeling, she instead made plans in her head for the return trip home with Shippou. Her imaginings of fishing, training, and camping with her little kit were cut short when Kikuko raised her fan and made conversation.

"I am sorry you all shall have to be away from your packs for a few more days but I suppose it cannot be helped now. At least for poor Kouhei and Ryouzou."

"No, and it is a shame. I was anxious to get back to the pyre after so many days away. But Ietsuna is a capable male and will make sure they are all safe." Fushijirou commented, huffing a disappointed sigh.

"If I may, Lady Kikuko, what do you mean?" Kagome asked politely, leaning forward to look around Sesshoumaru.

"Oh, I forgot about the feeble and unsensitive noses of humans. There is a typhoon bearing down on us from the southeast and we shall all be delayed by the time this Council meeting is over. I hear the rain beginning as we speak." She cocked her head slightly and closed her eyes to focus of the patter of rain just beginning on the southern face of the mountain. "It would be dangerous even for This One to be out in days of bad weather at this high altitude. Not to mention what it does to one's appearance." she shivered.

The Lady mother fluffed her pelt about her shoulders and resumed waiting in silence.

_'Longer? I have to be here even longer? I just want to be home…'_

But did she really? Home would be a plethora of reminders of Inuyasha day in and day out and maybe, just maybe, staying here a little longer gave her more time to make peace with that idea. But peace didn't seem to be something in large supply at the Palace at the moment, wherever she was.

The double doors slid open and Katsurou and Haruna strolled in both wearing scowls and lowered brows. Kagome was shocked to see four angry gashes that started at Katsurou's shoulder to trail down his chest before disappearing beneath the plain forest green kimono he was now wearing. Blood soaked through the fabric in long, darkened streaks but the youkai in the room seemed completely unconcerned.

Ren closed the door and took his place behind Sesshoumaru once again.

"Shall we begin?" Kikuko asked innocently. "What had we left to decide?"

"Succession in the West, Kikuko. Your son has yet to decide how to overcome the death of the only option to him. All Lands are secured but your own." Fushijirou said curiously.

"And This One wonders how you plan to secure an heir, Sesshoumaru, given that there are no silver inu left now to choose from."

"We **know**, Ryouzou. Thank you for reminding us once again. But there are the kitsune and the ookami at the least. Did you not bring your niece? And why bring her if not to introduce her as a candidate?"

"She was brought at your request, Kikuko, and under duress. Like many of the un-Mated females brought here, I imagine." Ryouzou's silver eyes narrowed and his disgust for the idea of tying his clan to theirs was obvious but he dared not say it out loud.

The Lord of the West squared his shoulders to the table, raised his chin, and made a declaration.

"Succession of the West will no longer be in question. Once the Council is concluded, This Sesshoumaru will begin the search for a Mate."

"Ah! Finally, Sesshoumaru, my dear!" Kikuko beamed, clapping her hands. "Some sense at last, my stubborn pup! I shall call on the packs to the south and-"

"No. I will journey alone."

"But Sesshoumaru, why? Surely they will travel here once they know of your intent?"

"Patrolling the Land is the duty of its Lord. I trust no other. I will combine the tasks."

"Sesshoumaru, you wish only to run away and galivant about the countryside unchecked once again." Kikuko folded her arms and scowled.

_'I can understand. I'd want that, too, with you all for company.'_ Kagome thought sardonically.

"Tasks? A Mating is not a death sentence, pup." Katsurou scowled then paused and closed one eye as he sipped his tea. "Besides, you will have no longer than this day to wait."

"Katsurou, you seem very certain about the prospects of your absent females. Why I wonder?" The Lady Mother's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Not of my own family, Kikuko, though they would prove formidable Mates to your Sesshoumaru, of course. No, the miko and I have an accord." The tiger's grin grew wide and knowing.

"Huh?" Kagome blinked. "I don't know anything about this. I'm only here because you asked me to be, Lord Katsurou."

"Indeed, I did. And to save the life of the small human Sesshoumaru seems so fond of."

"Get to the point, Katsurou. This babbling is infuriating." Kikuko spat.

"There sits your future Mate, Sesshoumaru." Katsurou outstretched an arm, palm up, toward the human. "Shikon no Miko and widow of your packmate. Marked as honored by your house and saved from death by your hand. By all rights, she is nearly yours already."

The vacuous silence was pierced by the ribbed sound of an unfurling fan.

"Your humor has not grown more effective with age, Katsurou. Whatever joke you are playing, this is not the time." the Lady Mother growled, flitting the fan back and forth.

Katsurou lowered his gaze and steeled gold met Kagome's confused, sapphire blue. "This is my demand, little one. To save the life of the human, Rin, and to satisfy the blood debt wrought by your hanyou, you will remain here as Lady of the West and Mate to the inudaiyoukai Sesshoumaru."

More silence. A minute ticked by then two. Finally, Kagome found her voice and sputtered her confusion.

"Wh- What?!" Kagome gasped across the table, confused azure eyes accusing Katsurou.

"Done." Sesshoumaru stated flatly, his face unreadable.

"**What?!**" Ebony hair whipped around her shoulders as Kagome turned to yell at Sesshoumaru. "No! Not done!"

"In this alone, I agree with the human! You cannot be serious, either of you!" Kikuko growled as she stood and flexed her claws. Nearly a millennium of planning and hoping for a resurrection of her once great house was about to come crashing down about her head over a human. Just like last time.

"Sesshoumaru, you surprise me. Why do you agree so easily?" Katsurou raised his chin in challenge, ignoring the growling Lady Mother beside him. The pup was too calm. Something was wrong.

"Rin. Should this appease your blood payment, and release her life from your hold, I agree."

"What the hell is happening right now?! I'm not marrying him! My husband just died two days ago! And he hates humans!" She leveled an accusatory finger at Sesshoumaru.

"Think carefully, little one. I will **have** your agreement." Katsurou tipped his head forward to meet her eyes under dark and serious brows.

"No, what you'll **have** is a dead woman and an enraged daiyoukai! Sesshoumaru, **say** something!" She swept a pale arm out toward Katsurou just in case he had forgotten which youkai was damning them both.

"Rin's life, miko. You gave your word." He looked casually over at her and remained emotionless.

"Her life for mine? For yours? That's the deal? Lord Katsurou, why on earth would you do this to him? To me? I can't understand it." she pleaded.

"The hanyou, second son of the Inu no Taishou, born of two worlds but welcomed by neither, brought lasting ruin to my house. Now I return the favor."

Beside him, Haruna growled menacingly and bared her fangs. Kagome wished she could do the same. Beside the impassive Sesshoumaru, she felt her face flush, heart hammering in her ribcage, and her breath felt thick and impossible as she tried to inhale.

"My lovely Mate does not agree." He absently stroked the healing gashes across his chest.

"You dishonor a noble house with your games, Katsurou. Whatever the cub has done does not deserve the punishment of laying with a human. A **priestess**." Haruna sneered.

"See? Haruna understands! Sesshoumaru, I forbid it. You absolutely will not Mate the priestess." Kikuko fumed, slamming her hand down on the table.

The low warning growl in Sesshoumaru's throat was heard by all. Kagome leaned away ever so slightly, feeling the disapproval radiating from him in stark contrast to his calm face.

"No! Centuries of waiting for you lift your nose from the ground only to bury it between the legs of some- some **human**?! This is madness and I will not stand for it!"

Kagome flinched at her outburst and a snarl roared from Sesshoumaru as he snared Kikuko by the throat and pressed his mother's thin neck firmly to the floor to still her, fangs bared and lowering them closer to her throat.

"Cease this weakness and remember yourself." he said lowly, bearing down on her.

He was prepared for her ire, her rage, but not for the tears gathering in her golden eyes that were so much like his own. Her voice wavered as she threatened him once more but quietly, brokenly.

"I will be reminding you of the same thing very soon, Sesshoumaru. Hear me now."

When he released her from the floor, she was gone from the room in a flash and the telltale roar of her true form could be heard fading into the distance as the thunder began to rumble outside. It was anger and rage but Kagome also heard a wail of sadness in the howls that followed her retreat.

Kagome was gasping and the room was starting to spin. This couldn't be happening. Her whole life, all of the minute and tentative plans to move forward now that Inuyasha was gone, it was all thrown into chaos. She had so many emotions surrounding Inuyasha's death still to sift through, so much of her life was already thrown into chaos. What did it mean to Mate Sesshoumaru? How could she get out of it? What would happen to Rin if she did? What would Shippou do if she couldn't? Why the hell did Sesshoumaru agree so easily? Why was it so hard to breathe?

"Sesshoumaru… I can't- I can't-" Kagome tried to get out the words but nothing was making sense. The world didn't make sense.

"Perhaps your vengeance will be short lived, Katsurou." Ryouzou grinned, folding his arms and resting back from the table.

"Miko."

Kagome looked to her right, breast heaving, and found his eyes. He looked so calm. So at peace. Why was he so still while her life was falling apart again?

"Calm yourself." he said quietly. "You gave your word."

She nodded shallowly and her breathing slowed only a fraction as new tears formed in her eyes. Convinced she would regain control of herself and not die at the table, Sesshoumaru turned back to the Lord of the North.

"This Sesshoumaru makes one request, Katsurou."

"I am listening." he said suspiciously, folding his tawny arms.

"The woman should be allowed a period of mourning and we will observe the usual courting rituals. When both are satisfied, we will complete the Rites and not before."

"And how long do you propose this mourning should take?"

"How does fifty years sound to you?" Kagome said bitterly, hands braced against the table for support and her voice gaining strength.

"Ha! She is funny, Sesshoumaru. Perhaps she can teach you something." Katsurou said, relaxing his arms.

"I fail to see the humor. Will the human not most likely be dead by then?" Kouji asked innocently from beside Kagome.

"Kouji, pet, that was the point." Samidori spoke up for the first time, gentle vermilion eyes finding Kagome to her left and warming with motherly affection for the panicked human girl.

"How sad, Lady miko." Kouji replied, turning to look her over.

"I'm not joking." Kagome said, finally feeling most of the weight of anxiety lift from her chest but a warming anger taking its place.

"One year, little one." the tiger said finally.

"Ridiculous. She will only run away and disappear between now and then." Ryouzou said easily.

"And if she does, my rights to the human ward's life resumes and I will exact my vengeance that very day. Do you hear me, priestess? Mated and marked, and nothing less will satisfy This Katsurou."

"I don't even know what that means! All I know right now is you want to make the two of us miserable for as long as I live and I don't get it. I have a life out there! Responsibilities, duty, a purpose. A whole village depends on me and that's not my pride talking, it's just the truth. What happens to them when I leave?"

"Who would care? A small village of humans is of little consequence." Ryouzou waved an indifferent hand at her concerns.

"Not to those humans!" Kagome countered. "And not to me."

"I shall give you the mourning period to decide that for yourself. One year."

"One year? No way. I'll agree to five."

"One."

"Fine, two. Bare minimum to train my replacement."

"Very well. Two years will pass and then you will return for the Council to witness the Rites. After that, you are free to waste your life any way you see fit, I care not."

"So generous of you." Kagome spat, no longer caring about the total lack of respect. Clearly, they had none for her or, she now wondered, for Sesshoumaru either.

"Then we have your agreement?"

Kagome paused. The gravity of the moment was not lost on her. Her life up until now had been a collection of moments, decisions, and events that connected and created a life she had control over. This was not that. Consenting to this was permanent and irreversible, though she didn't yet know to what extent. But Rin deserved to live. Her life wasn't in danger, per se, but it would no longer be hers alone. Looking around the room, the faces turned to her were angry, bored, or disinterested. A human stolen away meant nothing to them. A tick of the clock and she would be a memory.

"I… have questions." she said firmly to the tiger, still formulating what they were.

To her surprise, it was Sesshoumaru who answered.

"Ask."

Kagome sat up straighter to sit taller next to him and meet his eyes. The inudaiyoukai was wearing an indecipherable expression but he was offering to help her understand and she silently thanked him for it.

"What does this mean? Mating? I want to know what to expect."

At Katsurou's snort of laughter, she wondered what it was she had asked that was so funny. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at the Northern Lord and then closed his own for a moment before answering her. It was a fair question but not one he relished answering before his fellow Cardinal families.

"That is a conversation best held in private, priestess."

"Kagome."

"What?"

"My name. You'd better start using it, whatever all this means. A 'priestess' is what I am, not who I am. Unless, you want me to start calling you 'youkai.'"

"Very well. But this conversation will have to wait until we are alone."

"Yes, please. I have no desire to hear whatever of our customs you want to explain to her. I have had enough human smells in my snout to last a lifetime from today alone." Ryouzou released a cloud of smoke from his nostrils to clear them and prove his point.

"She deserves a basic explanation, I should think, before she agrees. Surely, you could grant her that, Sesshoumaru." Fushijirou said sincerely, tenderly stroking the leg of his Mate.

Sesshoumaru, to his eternal credit, did not sigh or scowl but turned his chest to face her and answered her sincerely.

"It is similar on the surface to your human concept of marriage though physically binding and irreversible. There is a ceremony which we will both observe and afterward, you will have possession of a small amount of my youki as evidence."

"My whole life." She was quiet for a moment, considering. "I'll ask about the details later, I suppose." Her scent amplified once again to incorporate the sweet and tangy smell of yuzu and Sesshoumaru waited patiently.

"And what about children?" Kagome asked shyly.

"What about them?"

"They would be hanyou. Aren't you worried about that?"

"There do not have to be children." he said obviously, looking down his nose at her for the first time today. Delicate, dark eyebrows furrowed and she opened her mouth to ask something else but was interrupted.

"Indeed! Should another half-breed whelp inherit your late father's abilities, Sesshoumaru, this whole situation would repeat itself." Ryouzou accused.

"Impossible. This One inherited his mother's abilities and is well past development. There is no longer a risk of my father's ability returning."

"Is that how it works?" the miko asked innocently.

"Hm."

"That's… a relief to know. And what if I want children?" Because she did. Someday. And now they might affect him, too.

"We will discuss the matter in private but options will be given to you."

"Okay. So, what will I do for the rest of my life as your- um, Mate? Live here? Sit alone day after day? Pay calls?"

"You will live here. You may take care of Rin and the kit. Her human experiences are limited and I am sure your presence would be welcome."

"Shippou can stay here with us?"

"I will allow it."

"Thank you." Her smile was genuine knowing she would not be separated from her son. "So, raise the children? That's it?"

"You may find something to occupy your time, miko, and we can discuss it later."

_'So, you either don't know or don't care what I might to do all day for the rest of my life and the one person who does hates me enough to storm out into a typhoon.'_

Now, Sesshoumaru was growing frustrated. This was all best left for a later discussion and he loathed having to bow to her questions with the Council present. Logically, he knew it was wise of her to inform herself before agreeing but impatience at the length of the discussion and a vague sense of self-consciousness entered his mind at exposing himself even so little.

"So, your agreement, Kagome?" Katsurou tried again, yawning.

"Yes." Kagome nodded firmly. "I'll do it. Now Rin is safe, correct?"

"Of course. I keep my word, little one."

"Then we are finally concluded?" came the question from the impatient black dragon.

"Hm. Request anything you may need in the coming days from the staff already assigned to you. They have been informed of the extended stay."

"My love and I will be leaving, Sesshoumaru." Katsurou said quickly and happily. "We are not affected to the north and will be headed away from the storm. So, until next year, my friends."

The Lord of the North left the room and Haruna followed behind him, casting one last glare at the seated miko before raising her chin and leaving.

"Hmph." Ryouzou stood and waited impatiently for Kouhei to catch on and rise as well. When the heir did finally get the nudge to leave, he moved quickly and seemed embarrassed at being herded out like a hatchling by Ryouzou.

The Lord and Lady of the South rose and patted the head of their son before walking single-file out of the room. The son, Kouji, stopped in front of Kagome and knelt down. He took in her wide eyes and quick breaths and knew she was still overwhelmed.

"My Lady, I live here at the Palace with my Mate and I would be honored if you- you and your intended, that is-" he glanced over at Sesshoumaru, "would join us for dinner one night before you leave. You have much to unravel, I know, but I would like you to feel you have a friend here in this lowly messenger."

"I- I'm sorry. I have no idea what tomorrow looks like. I- I can't plan. Forgive me."

"I will consider your offer, Kouji." Sesshoumaru cut in. Kouji stood and bowed respectfully before meeting his parents in the hallway.

"I shall await you outside, Lady Miko." Ren said quietly, closing the doors behind him.

And with Ren gone, the room was emptied and only the priestess and the inudaiyoukai remained.

Kagome thought she nodded when the Captain said he was leaving but she couldn't be sure. The silence between her and her companion was uncomfortable and deafening. Kagome didn't know whether to just leave him alone or to try to reason with him now. She couldn't find the courage yet to look up at Sesshoumaru. Was he furious? Was he waiting for there to be no witnesses to her murder? No, Rin's life was still on the line until… it was done.

But until **what** was done exactly? What was going to happen after the two years she had bought herself? Images of being forced to stand beside him in silence, forced to live here among those who hated her, forced to watch as the children grew up and moved away so that only she would remain. She and Sesshoumaru.

She heard more than felt the rustle of silk to her left and knew he was standing. Without her consent, her insecure and fearful gaze found his clawed hand stretched down and opened to her. Kagome followed the trail of his long arm upward to meet his eyes. Softened, golden eyes that were no longer so guarded. His face seemed at ease, relieved, and Kagome realized that Rin was safe for the first time today, and Sesshoumaru's relief was there for only her to see.

She looked at the hand offered to her. It was a simple and polite gesture but from him, in this moment, it felt like much more. This was the same hand that ended Inuyasha's life. The hand that had tried to kill her, as well. But it was also the hand that had saved a small human girl from death, defended her friends in their time of need with mutual purpose, and had recently saved Kagome from a tragic death. If she accepted it, she was accepting their past and agreeing to their future. If she rose alone, the road would be harder but, in the end, the result would be the same if Rin was to live.

Slowly, her arm raised and the silk of her sleeve whispered down to her elbow just before their fingers touched. Her fingertips brushed his pale palm and the calloused feel of it raised her awareness of his prowess with a sword. She slid her fingers gently forward, trying not to grab him roughly when she hooked her fingers around his slim wrist and felt the warmth of his skin in her own hand. His fingers closed around her forearm as he applied minimal strength to lifting her from the floor.

Sesshoumaru felt the trembling in her small hand, the dampness from her nerves, but also her warmth and the strength of her grasp.

Kagome felt the heat of his touch but the tips of deadly claws brushed against her forearm and the magenta markings that circled his wrist were strange and inhuman.

As she stood to her full height, he still towered over her but she immediately looked up to his face to find some sense in this, as if the explanation would be written there. He met her eyes and she watched his nostrils flare subtly, trying to figure out what she she was thinking. They stayed still for a moment, considering each other with guarded curiosity, hands clasped.

He gave only three words to end their moment of mutual consideration.

"Walk with me."

...

AN: So it's done! Set in motion. _'Hide the Button'_ is indeed my nod to Unspoiled, a wonderful fanfic posted here by the talented **forthright**. I imagined that a phoenix's home might be called a 'pyre' and we merely borrowed the term. Two years isn't drastically long for either of them but what will they do in the mean time? As always, I hope everyone is well and safe, and let me know what you think, if you have time!


	20. Chapter 20 - Imaginary

**Author's Note:** I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 20 - Imaginary**

"Walk with me."

It was a request, she knew, even though his frequently tended to sound more like commands. Why he wanted to remain in her presence was a mystery but his need for what she hoped was a quiet walk was oddly similar to her own. Though if the clattering sound of rain outside was any indication, they would be staying inside instead. Kagome considered Sesshoumaru for a moment longer, their hands still clasped. He was patiently waiting for her answer. His hand around her own was stiff but firm. Not the warm and familiar embrace of friends but a utilitarian grasp to keep her in place, just like the situation they now found themselves in. He had been the first to reach out, however, and Kagome could respond in kind.

"…Okay."

Only after she answered did he nod and release her, his bangs settling gently above unreadable golden eyes. Sesshoumaru slipped his hand from hers and watched as several emotions battled for dominance in her far-away, cerulean gaze. Her scent was a whirlwind of everything he already knew and new depths he did not. He left her standing in the empty meeting room to gather her thoughts, turning away with a rustle of indigo silk and two long strides to the doorway before stopping to wait for her to join him in the hallway. The Captain was dutifully waiting, posted just outside the door.

"Your presence is not required this evening, Captain. I will inform you when the miko is ready to return to the guest quarters." Sesshoumaru said politely.

Ren did not answer but only bowed silently and hurried away faster than was necessary, leaving Sesshoumaru to wonder what else the General had assigned him that was suddenly so urgent.

"Where's the Captain going?" came the quiet voice of the miko as she stepped out into the hallway.

"He is dismissed until you are ready to return to your rooms. I assume you have many questions," he rumbled, and began walking to the right and away from the infirmary toward the staircase, "and you have a right to the answers."

"I do, thank you, but where are you- where are we going?"

Kagome caught up to his long strides and peered up at him. He glanced down at her for only a second before looking ahead once again as they walked.

"The weather is uncooperative so we will go to my quarters. We will not be disturbed."

"What about the children?"

"They may join us for dinner, or else you and the kitsune may return to your rooms. I will leave the decision to you."

"But not right now? I promised Shippou we'd spend most of today together and I broke that promise hours ago." she said sadly.

Guilt suffused her scent with the harsh bite of shochu liquor and Sesshoumaru had to fight the urge not to turn away or wrinkle his nose. The Lord of the West stopped and Kagome stumbled on the hem of her kimono as she turned to face him, grunting her frustrations at the encapsulating garments for the hundredth time today.

"You have questions," he simply stated, bracing a hand on his hip and leaving the other to hang loosely beside him, "and the children are young… and inexperienced."

He waited, and when she remained silent and confused, he raised one pale eyebrow in her direction.

"Oh… _**Oh.**_" Kagome finally understood his meaning and looked away, suddenly finding the length of the hallway distracting. "Right."

"Hm."

Through her embarrassment, Kagome thought it was amazing how he managed to use one syllable but sound so smug at the same time. As the pair rounded the corner to take the staircase to the family rooms, Kagome felt the cool and moisture-laden wind caress her face and lift ebony strands of hair. She paused and watched the heavy raindrops falling on the courtyard from underneath the shelter of the tiled overhang.

Standing there at the edge of the storm was hypnotizing. She walked forward and inhaled deeply, still watching the sheets of water being blown in waves across the bushes and skeletal forms of dormant trees. The rain was real and familiar in a Palace full of unfamiliar sights and youkai. The young woman stood and let her mind clear as the rain beat down a steady rhythm all around.

Beyond the courtyard and the winding pathways paved with crushed shells, the low stone wall framed the bottom edge of a spectacular view into the valley below. At the moment, it was misted over with pale storm clouds and appeared as though in a fog. Dark mountains rose all around and loomed like gargantuan shadows to the left and right of the Palace. Below, the green of the valley floor could still be seen, and the small, irregular dots of villages and thin veins of human roads crisscrossed the land.

_'This mountain, this Palace, would be my home.'_ she reflected. _'To live the rest of my life here.'_ She glanced shyly back over her shoulder to the daiyoukai who settled behind her a few steps away. _'With him.'_

Wondering how the view from here might look in her time made Kagome sad. All of this wildness, this freedom, might be paved over down below and cluttered with smog and cell phone towers above. Did the Palace still exist? How many of the youkai she had met in the last few days were still alive?

"What do you see?" he asked from behind her, curious at the sudden change in her scent to that of wood ashes: her sadness.

"It's beautiful here." Kagome said truthfully, not turning around.

"And this saddens you?"

His innocent curiosity surprised her. Today had been full of surprises. Unsure azure eyes looked from one side of the gardens to the other, taking in the morose feel of the bare trees and lack of color as the rain beat down. Her voice was thick as she answered him.

"No, I was thinking of something else, sorry."

"Hm. Come."

He did not wait for her to turn and follow but rather started slowly up the stairs to their right and continued to climb at a sedate pace, ears trained behind him to make sure she was still following.

Kagome found the stairs difficult but not as much as before. She distracted herself from the burning sensation settling in her legs by watching the silver ponytail of her host sway with each new step. Her breath was quickening and her progress slow, but she did not stumble and finally made it the two flights to the top, flushed and out of breath.

"I'll be so glad… when I'm back to normal. Whew!"

"You are still overexerted. Your aura is very weak. You have more recovery time yet." he said matter-of-factly.

"I know but I'm ready to feel like myself again."

"So you may lose to Ren in the dojo?" he cast over his shoulder, almost at the end of the family hall.

"I'm not- going- to lose." she huffed, still recovering and bracing a hand on the wall. "Besides, it's just practice."

"It will not be to him. The Captain does not take contests lightly. His youth and demeanor prevent it."

"Any pointers then?"

"I thought This One was not supposed to cheat." he said, turning his head to walk into his rooms. She thought she saw the corner of his mouth quirk up but couldn't be sure.

"You got me. I'll figure it out later. Right now, I'd just like very much to sit down."

Kagome took slow and careful steps down the hallway and halted outside the doors to his rooms as he strode around, touching things here and there, unconcerned. Entering this space now felt infinitely more intimate, and her feet remained rooted to the floor realizing he might be expected to share these rooms in a few years. The young priestess wrung her hands in the doorway as the inudaiyoukai walked around the room, gathering a change of clothes, completely at ease in the space that was his alone.

_'It's just a room. Get it together.'_ she lied to herself.

The dark wood of the floor was warm and comfortable as she slipped off her shoes and stepped inside. Sesshoumaru was now occupied behind the screen at the far end that was, unsurprisingly, a colorful and violent scene of battle between inuyoukai and some kind of black feline youkai. When he took the first step out from behind the screen, clawed fingers were still straightening and tightening the white nagajuban and the flowing golden hakama from before. Kagome realized she was openly staring right at him and turned around with rose-dusted cheeks, seating herself at the table a little too quickly and catching an elbow on the edge, swearing loudly. It took a moment for the pain to subside and her to notice the steaming tea service laid in the middle of the table.

_'When did he ask someone for that?'_ she thought, idly rubbing her tingling forearm.

Her suspicions began to grow. He had been so calm as Katsurou leveled his punishment. Too calm. In the past, merely encountering her friends in the road was enough to provoke him but now the proud, human-hating Lord of the West was calmly accepting his fate to marry a priestess, and inviting her up to his private rooms for tea to discuss it. What was going through that demonic mind of his?

Sesshoumaru sat down at the end of the table, just as he had done at their dinner together only yesterday. His hands reached up to close around the silver hair ornament and with a swift pull of the silver stick, the entire mass of it came tumbling free like water around his shoulders. With a gentle shake of his head, his wintry hair settled around him and pooled onto the floor. Setting the ornament down lightly on the table, he settled himself and met her eyes. The daiyoukai looked like himself again and she found familiarity blooming warmly in her chest. Finally, something today was slightly more recognizable in her world, never mind the bare expanse of his startlingly muscular chest showing through the deepened gap in the crisp, white nagajuban. He was either unaware or unconcerned about it and seemed relaxed for the first time today since the meeting had started this morning.

_'And it would be nice to shed a few layers, I agree.'_ Kagome fidgeted a little in her seat, rolling her shoulders under the weight of the elaborate kimono, and reached for the tea.

"Would you like some?" she asked nervously. When he nodded, she readied both small, black cups in front of herself.

_'She has some manners. Perhaps there will be less work to do than I assumed.'_ he thought idly watching the silver teardrop of her necklace fall forward as she leaned to claim the tea. When she sat back down, his eyes followed it again as it bounced to settle again between the barely exposed cleavage her bold crimson kimono created. He was so focused on that small glint of silver, her question almost startled him when she asked it.

"What do you want to talk about?" she asked, pouring his cup first and handing it to him.

"You know nothing of youkai-"

"Well, that's hardly fair-"

"-Mating." he finished, silently amused when her mouth snapped shut and she looked back down at her cup.

She was quiet for a moment. He took the opportunity to enjoy the tea and his victory over her misappropriated confidence. She gathered her thoughts and sharp amber eyes watched as she considered how best to begin again as the blood slowly faded from her cheeks. Small hands fidgeted in her lap with a delicate ivory tassel from her obi.

"You're right. But can we please start with something less… less…" she sighed, "just less?"

"Such as?"

"Why did you agree to this so easily? Katsurou-sama is playing with you. He knows you hate humans, hanyou, and everything in between."

"I do not hate so much, miko. Humans have become allies and are a permanent fixture. We agreed on as much during the morning. However, my agreement to the Mating was the product of necessity."

"You mispronounced 'coercion'." she said flatly.

Sesshoumaru sighed, and Kagome decided she didn't like the sound coming from his lips. It seemed tired and small. Everything he wasn't, or shouldn't be.

"Ren learned of Katsurou's plot yesterday and reported such. I was aware this request might be made during the meeting and prepared accordingly. Now Rin will live a full life."

"You knew?! Why didn't you warn me?"

"Your reaction to his punishment had to be genuine for the effect to placate him. He would not have expected such an… animated response from me, whatever the circumstances."

"Okay, that's maddening… and manipulative… but I suppose I understand. That explains the tea, too, then." He nodded, satisfied she could see the need for both. "But I still don't understand why the thought doesn't make you all…" Kagome waved her hands in the air, searching for the words, "…act like you."

His turned eyes turned harsh and found hers as he scowled. He would now allow this relationship, whatever it would become, to begin this way. Even her short lifespan should not be lived under the misconception that he was only as he had been during the hunt for the evil hanyou.

"You do not know me. I said as much once before in the valley. Do not misunderstand my attitudes during the hunt for Naraku with intimate knowledge of my habits."

"Are you saying you've changed?"

"I am **reminding** you that your experiences in my presence have never been calm or rational, and rarely outside of battle. Therefore, in this way and many others, we are unknown to each other. Do you agree?"

"You're right. I suppose that's true. Still doesn't explain why you didn't even try to refuse or threaten him, though."

"Rin would never be safe. Youkai blood payment cannot be passed over. If I killed him, his Mate would rightfully seek vengeance and, in the end, war and a blood feud would carry over to future generations. If I refused, he could threaten war on the West over the break in tradition in preventing his revenge. The result is the same and I wish for neither."

"So, the only way out is to agree? And now, if I disappear, he reclaims his rights to her life." He nodded. "Well, I won't be going home then."

"You may return to Edo for the next two years." he said, wondering why she would not.

"No, I didn't mean there. I meant my mother's home." At his silent but continued gaze, she continued. "It's… far away. It might look like I was running away."

"Katsurou will most likely forget about you between now and the ceremony. Cats are not revered for their long attention spans." he scoffed.

"And you're sure enough about that to allow me to leave? To travel out of reach?"

"Nowhere is out of reach of This Sesshoumaru," he sipped his tea.

She cocked an eyebrow. "Don't be so sure."

"I am but your caution is noted and appreciated."

She was silent for a moment, letting the truth remain a secret for the time being. Two years was a long time and if the Mating did happen in the end, he had the right to know her origins then but not before.

The well. It had been weeks since she'd thought of it. Thoughts of the well were followed with thoughts of Inuyasha. What would going back to Edo feel like now? Kagome shook the feelings away for the moment and settled for spinning the cup in a slow circle with her nervous fingers before continuing.

"He can be buried there in Edo, can't he? I haven't had a chance to ask."

She did not have to elaborate on who 'he' was. Inuyasha would be there at the forefront of their conversations in the near future whether he was the subject or not.

"Yes." he almost whispered. "Inuyasha was left in the hands of the monk to be buried there, he said, by those Inuyasha knew best in life."

"Good," She swallowed and Sesshoumaru did not miss the shining of unshed tears in her eyes, "but you sound slightly bitter about that."

"That the monk did not consider the West Inuyasha's home was not a surprise but I wished for him to be buried here in the halls of his ancestors many years from now when he died naturally, yes. However, with the Council gathered and the North wronged as it was, I returned him to Edo instead to prevent more questions. If the timing had been different, he would have rested here."

"Thank you. He'd be happy to be here, too, I think. Of course, you're welcome to pay your respects in the village as often as you want to."

"Your fellow villagers might disagree. Had I returned him during the day instead of the dead of night, I am not certain his return would have been so peaceful."

She nodded then froze as the realization hit her and Kagome's attention was returned to him in full.

"Wait, **you** returned him?"

"I did. That same night." He gazed down into the teacup.

Kagome's face fell and Sesshoumaru's expression changed to that of someone stretched too thin. It wasn't overt sadness or guilt but a strange, unsettling combination of the two. He was retreating within himself right in front of her to escape the memories. Grief, she understood right now. The miko dipped her head down to draw his gaze and for a moment she thought he might ignore her. Slowly, golden eyes angled in her direction and she noticed the downturn of his brows in sadness.

"I'm sorry. I left you all alone there to take care of him. You took care of both us that night. I don't know that I could've been so strong, even for Souta."

He did not comment on her commiseration, only nodding, but something she said did catch his ear and he latched onto it to divert the conversation.

"A brother?" He realized in that moment that he knew nothing about her beyond her position, her kit, and her connection to Inuyasha. The reward for his curiosity was her gentle smile, in recognition of his need to change the subject or over thoughts of her brother, he could not tell.

"Yes, younger. He lives at home with my mother and my grandfather. I lived there, too, before coming back here."

_'She was surrounded by family before marriage. That explains her gravitation to pack behavior.' _he considered.

"Since we're talking about family, do you plan on keeping Rin here from now on?" Kagome continued.

"Yes, if she wishes it."

"Then you don't plan to visit Edo at all in the next two years?"

"I see no need."

"Didn't you ask for a 'courting period' or something like that? Don't you need to, you know, be present for that?"

"It was a request Katsurou could not refuse in order to extend the amount of time granted to you before the Rites."

"Oh."

When her fidgeting began again and her scent took on new sour notes of her nervousness, he was admittedly confused.

"You wish it to be genuine?" He was curious more than surprised and tipped his head just slightly to watch her answer.

"I… don't know? I guess it depends of what you expect from… whatever this will be. I'd like to get to know you better, either way. I think that seeing you once or twice in the next few years would help, don't you?"

"Perhaps. A Mating is not a marriage but something much less familiar to you. Very few humans, to my knowledge, have ever participated in such deeply personal bonding. I expect only that you will have a difficult period of adjustment to the changes within you, and that more explanations will be required."

"Okay." Kagome sat up straighter and took a deep breath, finally ready to face the facts of her new reality. "So, what is it exactly? A- A Mating?"

He readied his thoughts and pushed the empty teacup toward her, inclining his head. She quietly refilled it, still considering him.

"I will start at the beginning. We can move past the selection process since that has been done for us." he said, more calmly than she would have thought possible. "During courting, prospective Mates are expected to remain monogamous, prove their fitness to provide for pups, and demonstrate the power they bring to the coupling. A singular demonstration of both of the latter is usually sufficient unless there are challengers who wish to compete for the male or female."

"Humans are much the same though they go about it very differently. Doesn't sound so different though. Female youkai challenge each other to take males away, too?"

"Frequently. Demonesses are proud and generally both overly possessive and affectionate." he scoffed.

"Males are not?"

"Proud, perhaps." He ignored her parroted snort of 'Perhaps.' down the table and continued. "After the fitness of the Mates are proven, the Bonding ceremony is held to incorporate the immediate families and any other necessary witnesses, in this case the Council. Rites are read, which you will be taught, and blood is shared-"

"Blood? Why? How?"

"If you continue to interrupt, miko, this will take much longer than is necessary." He raised an eyebrow and Kagome scowled for a second then apologized. "During the Rites, small cuts are scored into the palm of the hand at appropriate times and at the conclusion of the ceremony, hands are bound and blood is shared. In our true youkai forms, the Rites are more violent but you are human and cannot participate in that way."

He noted that she looked serious at the mention of sharing blood but, to her credit, did not wilt or wince. She did appear remorseful for a moment but his patience was rewarded.

"Does that disappoint you?"

"No. In This One's experience, Mating in such a way always leads to violence or an excess of open sexual encounters, neither of which I wish for Rin to witness."

"Oh, kami, no. Shippou either. I've talked to him a little and he knows a few details from Inuyash-" she went immediately silent, her sadness infusing the air. "…Sorry."

"Do not hide your connection. He cannot live between us. You were bonded in your own way. I recognize what that means for both you and the kitsune."

"Thank you." He tipped his head just slightly in acknowledgement but instead of placating her, she only grew redder. "Then you know that means I'm not… pure anymore, either? That isn't a dealbreaker for youkai?"

"Hardly." He scoffed. "Youkai accept the truth that intimacy is normal and expected, Mated or no. It is far more unnatural to suppress instincts than to obey them. The importance human males place on purity is only a reflection of how little they care to maintain their own in favor of unreasonably demanding it from their females."

Kagome blinked her amazement for a moment.

"Wow. Sesshoumaru is a feminist." Kagome crossed her arms in jovial surprise, "I did not expect that from you. We actually have something in common."

If he was unfamiliar with the term, he still understood her meaning and inclined his head.

"We have a shared history, miko. There is also comfort in that."

"I suppose there is. Rin is a very lucky little girl to have you in her corner."

"And you care for her."

It wasn't a question but an observation, and Kagome's eyes softened thinking of Rin and her kit playing happily this afternoon.

"Very much, actually."

He thought for a moment, warring with himself over continuing and this time it was Kagome's turn to wait patiently and sip her tea.

"I admit that is another wholly selfish reason for accepting this proposal."

"That Rin has a human to watch over her as well?"

He nodded. "That she gains a mother figure whom she can relate to and see herself in. It is not lost on me that she is often lonely. That she is already familiar with you is comforting. A demoness would not likely be so welcoming."

Kagome looked at him with new eyes. He was reasonable, cautious, and caring. Not at all like she had assumed he'd be and she told him so.

"You… are not what I expected."

"Nor are you." When she cocked her head ever so slightly to encourage him to continue, he did not disappoint. "Your childish outbursts during our previous encounters were not flattering."

Kagome laughed for just a moment the raised her chin in mock defiance.

"I have a lot of feelings, and that's okay, but I'm not that virginal, fifteen-year old schoolgirl anymore, true. I was only two years older than Rin is now when I first- when the jewel shattered." Kagome shook her head. "That's a sobering thought. That reminds me: can I ask how old **you** are? I've always wanted to know."

"Nine hundred and fifty-two. And you?"

"Wow... I'm only nineteen." Her amazement was evident and his lips twitched upward just lightly. "And does it bother you that I won't live very long at all compared to you?"

"You will live as you are meant to. You will live to see as much of the future as a human should."

When Kagome snorted and nearly spit out her tea, he was confused and slightly disgusted but continued.

"The breaking of a Mating Bond to death, however, is jarring for the surviving Mate but do not concern yourself."

"Jarring? What happens?"

He paused before answering. His only firsthand experience had been observing his mother after the Inu no Taishou died. Her unbridled grief had been disconcerting to watch but Kikuko had truly loved his father before Touga's infidelity. His mother would not speak of her experience to him directly but he remembered being witness as a pup to the consequences: her violent outbursts, disappearing for weeks into the wilderness in her true form, and the emotional turmoil for years after. If her reaction in the Council room was evidence, the grief remained near to the surface even now.

_'Will losing a human Mate be as disconcerting?'_

"Sesshoumaru? Are you okay?"

The faraway look he adopted made her concerned. She watched the knit of his brow and the downturn of his mouth as he considered something unpleasant.

"Yes. Merely considering how a Mating to a human will affect me. I can hypothesize but I do not know. In youkai, the loss is felt keenly for many years. Perhaps we have much to learn in the next two years."

_'We?'_ she wondered. _'He says 'we' now?'_

"Yes, I suppose we do. Since we were talking about Rin, I have a request."

"Such is not unusual from an intended. Name it."

"Oh, it's nothing like that. It's selfish, too, I suppose. I won't outlive even Rin and definitely not Shippou, and I accepted that. Once I'm gone, though, Shippou would be left alone again now that Inuyasha is gone. Can I ask that you keep him here with you when I'm gone? I could never rest easy knowing he's all alone again."

"Very well. The kit will not be left alone unless he wishes it. Once we are Mated, he will be given a place in our pack and a permanent place in the Palace. I will not name him my heir but he will be provided for as long as the West stands."

"Thank you. We'll have my lifetime to get him used to the idea. He means so much to me and I'm truly grateful. Now each of the children will have a parent who knows what they need." Kagome happily sipped her tea for a moment, surprisingly contented in how well she and the daiyoukai could converse. "This Bonding ceremony. You mentioned that for youkai, it ends up in… what did you say?"

"Bloodletting and public rutting?" He arched an eyebrow.

"Yes. That. Is that part of the ceremony for us, too?" she asked nervously.

"No."

Kagome visibly relaxed.

"Our first joining will be that night after the feast is over and we have secluded ourselves."

"Oh- Okay. And what happens exactly?"

"I was under the impression you were familiar with intimacy but if you require further explanation-"

"No, damn it. Not _**that**_. But us… together… is part of the Mating ceremony?"

"The final act. Once we are Bonded by the Rites in front of the Council, there is a feast and celebration at the Palace for the remainder of the day."

"Humans do that, too. That's the same." she nodded, understanding, and waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Then we will retire to the Inner Sanctum of the mountain where there are a cluster of rooms specifically carved out for newly Mated pairs to spend their first few weeks together in solitude."

"Weeks?! We'll have to be gone for weeks? Humans usually take a few days to a week or so to travel somewhere alone so I guess that's not actually that different but weeks?"

"Generally, the conception of an heir is attempted during this seclusion. The main purpose of our retiring is to consummate the Bond and allow for the privacy required for a Mark to take. Weeks are not needed for that alone so a day or two may suffice."

"Your rooms aren't secluded enough? Why the separation?"

"Daiyoukai hearing is exceptional."

"Oh, I forgot about that." New color lit her cheeks at the thought. "And you mentioned 'Marking,' which is what exactly?"

"The Mark is the infusion of my youki that binds us together, links us irrevocably, but it is also an intensely physical experience, I have heard."

"Right but what is it? How is it done?"

"At the peak of intimacy, when youki is stirred into its most primal and basic nature, fangs are used to create a pathway through your aura for my youki to penetrate and reside within you. I am less sure how it will affect a miko, however, so-"

"You're gonna bite me?!"

"Mark you." he corrected. "I do not take pleasure in the pain it will cause you but it is necessary."

"What the hell?! Why is every part of youkai Mating so physical and violent?"

"Humans are no less physical or violent, miko, however much they like to pretend otherwise. Youkai recognize the need and the innate intimacy in these allowances to their life partners. As a result of the Mark, not only is Rin safe but it will allow you sense my emotions and physical presence intimately for the entirety of your life."

"You defend it very well, Sesshoumaru. I guess we'll have to hope it works then. Have… Have you ever been Mated before?"

"No." he said quickly.

"Oh. So this is new to you, too?"

"You are the first." Sesshoumaru captured her eyes, his expression unreadable.

"The first… Mate, right? Not the _**first** _first?"

"Are you asking if I have rutted with others at all in the last six **hundred** years past my maturity?" He cocked a delicate eyebrow in her direction and she laughed.

"Okay, fine. Dumb question."

"Indeed."

"So what about after? After Mating and Marking, and kami knows that's a lot on its own, what happens to me?"

"You will reside here in the Palace with the children and we begin our reign as a Mated pair."

"With you? Or apart from you? What do you expect?"

"I expect that we will have much to decide in two years and one cannot predict the future."

"Okay. I agree with that. What about children? Children are something I do want, Sesshoumaru. Not immediately after the Mating, but sometime in the future. Maybe when we know each other better?"

"I have no desire to bring more hanyou into the world."

That simple statement was the first truly unforgiving thing he had said and Kagome visibly winced. She began again but her voice was quiet and unsure. He had said as much in the Council chamber but refused to elaborate then.

"Why?"

"They are an abomination. Neither human nor youkai and impossible to predict, and I will not have hanyou heirs. Any children born between us, as a Mated pair, would be recognized as such. That I would outlive them to regain control of the West is insulting in itself but then to consider that they might be targeted for ridicule their entire lives by the youkai that they should rule over is laughable. They would bring ruin to the West."

"But your brother…"

"-Existed. He was born of my father and human hime. I had no control over those events. That he lived to adulthood and grew into his power was rare enough. That he was the only one left of our bloodline to inherit the West was a tragedy."

"I don't understand. Didn't you say that Inuyasha's death was a loss, even as a hanyou?"

"Yes, that is still true."

"Then even as a hanyou, he had value to you as an inuyoukai?" Her voice became less timid as the thoughts gained strength in her mind.

"However-"

"And we already learned there was no risk of your own children inheriting your father's abilities?"

"What are you-"

"And there are **no more** inuyoukai besides you and your mother?"

"Yes, however-"

"So how do you plan to create this perfect heir you so desperately need when you physically **can't**?" Kagome crossed her arms in frustration.

"Miko!" He barked, tired of her interruptions. "First, conception of my heir is not your concern. And second," he quieted the anger in his voice, "if you wish so desperately to have children of your own, you may choose a partner in the future at your discretion."

"What?!"

He did not expect her shock and outrage. Had he not just acquiesced to her wishes? He was allowing her this thing she wanted so badly in a way they could both abide, was he not?

"Was I not clear? If you wish to have children born of your own body, you may-"

"Don't say it again! Why on earth would you think I could do that?"

"Why not? It seems a logical conclusion. Any children born between us would be hanyou, which I cannot condone. So, if you wish to find someone to father your children other than This Sesshoumaru, you may."

"So, I'll be married to you but you expect me to be in love with someone else? To raise children with someone else while I'm living here in the Palace? That's beyond weird and complicated. No way. And how is that less embarrassing for you than hanyou children?"

"Mated, not married, woman. Multiple partners are common among youkai. No one would begrudge you a consort. And love is not necessary for procreation."

"Yes, love is necessary. I won't bring children into the world without a partner I love."

"Then the choice is made for you, priestess."

"It is not! This is important to me and you're making it sound like an inconvenience!" She thrust a hand at him in anger.

He stood against the table and loomed over her before growling and turning away, pacing to the back of the room then back to her, his low growl all the time thrumming in the air between them. Sesshoumaru came back to stand at the end of the table again and planted his feet, losing the battle for calm within himself.

"This situation is an inconvenience! Your **presence** is an inconvenience! I am to bear your human thoughts, emotions, knowledge of you I have no wish to hold for the decades of your short life before I am allowed to resume my own. You selfishly assume the burden is yours alone and the hardship in this lies only with you. Let me remind you that the entirety of the West will know of this **farce** of a Mating between us and that I will endure their scorn for millennia to come after you are nothing but a memory! You are a naïve child if you have not considered the affect this will have on my life, as well."

"And you're an ass! I've asked you several times if this was hard for you, what **you** wanted, and you gave me the **right** answer but not the **real** one! Be honest with me, Sesshoumaru! I'm the **only one** who understands this fucked up situation!" Kagome stood on shaky legs and faced him, uncaring of the tears gathering at his callousness. "And right now, I need a break from you and from this conversation before I say something I'll regret. I'm leaving. I'll take Shippou to our room and explain everything to him there. I'm going to assume you'll do the same for Rin. I'll stay until the storm passes and then I'm leaving for Edo. If you need me, you know where I'll be."

Kagome stood and left the room without a backward glance. He could easily follow her, drag her back, demand she stay, and she knew that. So, when the young woman made her way as quickly as she could through the empty hallways unaccosted, she was grateful he chose to leave her be.

Tears pricked her eyes for the first time since this morning and she almost laughed. This morning her tears had been for Inuyasha, and now she was crying for herself. Lamenting her own future. Kagome recognized she had lured herself into a false sense of security regarding the demon Lord currently fuming away upstairs. He had been so disarmingly attentive, honest, and unexpected that Kagome stamped her foot on the first landing of the staircase in frustration at allowing him into her heart for only a moment, thinking they might share a companionship she could live with.

But that could never be if he was so unwilling to listen.

_'They are an abomination.'_ She shivered at the easy way he had said it. It was the simple truth to him.

_'And I thought he was grieving for Inuyasha. He was grieving his own loss of a brother, not a hanyou. How could I have been so stupid?'_

Shaking her head, ebony hair was set into motion in gentle waves across her shoulders, whispering against the ornate red and sky-blue silks. Taking the last of the steps a little faster, driven by anger to get as far away from this corner of the Palace as possible, Kagome stepped down the last stair and into the hall, walking as quickly as she could on sore legs to find the infirmary.

_'Ren said Kenshin wanted to see me before I go to sleep and I'm want to get to it as fast as possible. Maybe he'll know where Tomomi is with the children, too.'_

It was getting dark and the storm was getting worse. Between the dark rainclouds and the fading evening light, Kagome could barely see down the hallway, and only to make out general shapes and the layout of the space.

_'Why would they need to light the hallways, right? It's not like night-blind humans live here all the time.'_

One more reminder that she was a stranger in a strange place. At any moment, any of the occupants of the halls and many guest rooms could end her life with very little effort. She was weakened and very much alone here.

Kagome had nearly reached the last corner before meeting the infirmary doors when she collided roughly and unexpectedly with a body carrying a tray of hot liquid. The bowl of scalding water cascaded down her front and lingered in the heavy silk fabric she wore, making Kagome bite her lip to keep from crying out.

"Oh, Kagome-sama, I'm so sorry!" the familiar voice of Tomomi came from the dark.

"Son of a bitch!" the miko hissed.

"Lady Kagome! Let me get a towel!"

"No, just help me take this thing off. It still burns- Ah!"

"Okay, hold on."

With practiced hands, Tomomi removed the obi and the outer layers, checking for more damp fabric as she went. The deer youkai could see the red and angry skin between her breasts even in the dark, flaring in some places as high as the miko's collarbone.

"Oh, Lady Kagome, I am so sorry. Your nagajuban is dry enough but your chest…" Green eyes flashed in the dark and Kagome was glad one of them could see well enough to deal with this mess.

"Stop- ow! Stop apologizing. It was an accident. I probably ran into you. I can't see a thing out here. Kenshin's about to get a lesson in salves now. Damn, that stings."

Muted yelling came through the infirmary doors and both women's heads turned and looked up from the floor, surprised.

_"-And she was forced to sit there and listen while they told her how she would live the rest of her life! They gave her absolutely no choice!"_

_"Ren, it isn't our concern. Not mine and not yours. Lord Sesshoumaru will take care of her-"_

_"He'll ignore her and wait for the moment she dies before finding some bitch that will give him pure blooded heirs. Hell, he might not wait that long. She'll be miserable and lonely once Rin and Shippou are gone."_

_"Watch your tongue! Someone will hear you, you idiot!"_

_"I don't know that I care! He's always been accommodating to us but we're inu. I never considered how he treats everyone else until today. He didn't even try to protest. Rin is one human girl and he's willing to trade Kagome for Rin without a second thought."_

_"And what do you intend to do about it? Challenge him for the West? Start a war with the North?"_

_"Seven hells, I don't know!"_

_"Then sit down and be reasonable! Use your brain and think this through before coming in here, knocking tables over like a pup who can't keep his tail. I fail to see why you're so mad, at any rate, because this has nothing to do with you."_

_"I don't know but it's wrong! She doesn't deserve it, Kenshin, and I feel so useless. I failed Inuyasha-sama and now she's doomed, too."_

_"You are not useless. His death was not your fault." _Kagome heard someone sit heavily in a chair._ "We can be here for her. We can help her navigate what is sure to be a difficult adjustment."_

_"I can't stand by and watch her end up like mother, Kenshin. Heartbroken and saddled with pups all alone while he lives his life like he's not destroying hers."_

_"Sesshoumaru-sama is not like our father, Ren, and you know that." _Kenshin said firmly.

_"But mother fell in love with that bastard anyway. Kagome might do the same." _Ren said angrily.

When Kagome stopped listening, fresh tears were running down her face. Everything they had said could be true. Her own future could be painfully similar to the vision they had laid out. Before she could fully process the implications of the argument she was never meant to hear, a sharp flare of youki came from upstairs and the two women's heads quickly turned to stare down the dark hallway. Sesshoumaru was calling someone. She and Tomomi locked eyes a second before the doors to the infirmary snapped open revealing an angry Captain and, deeper into the room behind him, a surprised and embarrassed chief healer.

Ren sighed and closed his pale green eyes in guilt and resignation.

"I will return. Stay here with Kenshin, my Lady." Ren said curtly.

Kagome could only mutely nod as he stepped around them and disappeared.

"Kagome-sama? Are you- Kami! What happened to you? Come inside. Let's see what I can do about that. Tomomi, are you alright?"

"Yes, Kenshin-san, I am fine."

"Good. What were you doing in the hallway?"

The scent of tears gave him pause and he sighed.

"Do not take it to heart, Lady Kagome. Ren is mistaken in his assumptions and doesn't know when-"

"No. He's right." the miko said, silent tears falling down her cheeks. "And it's already started."

...

**Author's Note:** They needed to hash it all out. Now you know what they expect, too. This was never going to be an easy transition. Grief takes time and centuries of prejudice can't disappear with a keystroke, now matter how much I wanna get to the fluffy stuff. Hope you enjoy it and let me know if you do! As always, hope everyone is safe and well and can find some TP!


	21. Chapter 21 - Times Won't Change Me

**Author's Note:** I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

The first line is a repeat of the last line of Ch20. Just FYI.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 21 - Times Won't Change Me**

_"No. He's right." the miko said, silent tears falling down her cheeks. "And it's already started."_

"He is not right. Ren is rarely truly insightful, in my experience. Come. Let's see to these burns. What were you doing in the hallway in the dark?" he asked, reaching down to help her from the floor.

Kagome took the clawed hand that Kenshin offered, glad to be in the uncomplicated presence of a friend.

"I don't know if you've noticed but all of the hallways are dark. This place- this Palace is not meant for humans." she said idly, brushing off her under-kimono and refusing to look him in the eye.

Kenshin quietly understood she was not only speaking of the dark hallways.

"Kagome-sama?" he tried.

The miko was still looking down and biting her lip. The scent of salt was fading but not altogether gone.

"My Lady, please look at me."

He risked her ire by hooking his index finger under her chin and ducking his head down to meet her eyes. He was unsurprised to find them welled with tears and the sadness in her ocean blue eyes was instantly reflected in his own. He spoke slowly and hoped she would hear him clearly.

"You did a brave and selfless thing to save Lady Rin. Do not lose hope. I do not know what caused this upset but my Lord is honorable and thoughtful. It will not be as Ren said."

"Then if we're stuck together in this mess, why can't he just be honest? Why hold it all in and then blow up at me? I'm doing my best to understand and accept all of this, and he's just going through the motions. I don't think he understands at all that this is my **entire life** I'm giving him in exchange for Rin's. I'll be dead in the next fifty years and none of you will bat an eye!"

"That is not true. We will all remember you fondly and mourn you when your time comes. But as for my Lord's regard, you have the benefit of anonymity, Kagome-sama. You are neither shy nor embarrassed of your feelings. Imagine if you were not. If every eye you met was scrutinizing your every move, every expression, waiting for signs of weakness."

"Emotions aren't weakness, Kenshin-san." she sniffled.

"They are to him, and to others around him. They are cracks in the foundation of the West that more ambitious daiyoukai might be more than happy to seize upon, peace agreements or not."

"I- But if he'd-" Kagome looked lost for a moment then looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "Thank you, Kenshin. But why can't **he** just tell me that?"

"I could wager a guess but it would be only that. You should ask him when next you speak."

She was quiet for a moment, considering. "We need to learn how to talk to each other, I guess."

"That is a good place to start. For now, however, what can I do about this?" He gestured to her welted and angry chest.

"You can take me to my room and let me meditate so I can heal it properly? Right now, some cool water and a cloth would be heaven sent. I can teach you to make a salve that helps, for future reference, but first you'll have to gather aloe and some beeswax."

"I have both as a matter of fact. We use aloe for stomach ailments, and the wax for coating many different things." the healer said as he wrung out a cool cloth for her.

"Oh, well that's useful. And **that's** heaven, thank you." she purred, enjoying the cool of the water temporarily stilling the seared nerves over her breasts.

"Gods, that's worse than I realized, Kagome-sama." Ren said seriously from the doorway, his hand casually palming the hilt of his sword.

Azure met verdant green and she waited. Kagome wasn't sure how to respond to him now, knowing how he felt about the deeply personal events of the day. The Captain was still dressed in the navy kimono and other finery required by the meeting but the steel chest plate was gone and he had freed his shoulder length, snow white hair. The razor-straight locks angled forward as he bowed to her with an apologetic look.

"I am sorry, my Lady. I should not have spoken in such a way."

"No, you shouldn't," she started firmly and he wilted slightly, "but I'm glad someone cares enough to be irrationally mad since it won't do **me** any good."

"Thank you." Ren's relief was genuine. "I do not rescind what I said but perhaps, I should have discussed those possibilities with you first."

"Yes, you should have but you learned something from it so I'll take that as a consolation prize. I would have discussed it with you more than likely anyway. Our situation might, in fact, end up very similar to your mother's." she finished quietly.

Ren waited a few minutes for Kenshin to inspect Kagome's bruised but better shoulder, and the scar behind her head, before losing the battle with himself to pry once again.

"My Lord seemed especially curt with me. Was your conversation not pleasant?"

"Ren, that's **none** of your business. Do you **never** learn?" Kenshin laid his own palm across his forehead, tired of mothering his brother for the day.

"No, it's okay. Yes, we had our third major disagreement of the last three days. That's why I was so upset when you found me."

"I am sorry, then."

"No, there's some truth in what you said though I still wish you had said it to me instead of yelling at Kenshin."

"As do I." Kenshin said, folding his arms.

"Lord Sesshoumaru bid me to stay with you until you leave, by the way."

"I expected that. I should be back at full strength just after the storm passes. I hope there are no more surprises until I leave. I really need sleep and to spend some with-"

"Kagome!" yelled Shippou from the door, bounding toward her.

"Wait, Shippou-kun! Your mother has burns-" Kenshin tried to stop him but was too slow.

"Oh, Kagome! Where have you been all day?" the kit squeaked, nuzzling her shoulder.

"I'm happy to see you, too, but ouch! Claws, claws, **claws!**" she whined.

"Huh?" Shippou blinked and looked down at his hands, one of which was placed directly over a patch of angry, red skin on her chest. "Ah! Sorry! What did you do to yourself this time?"

"Hot water," she hissed, squinting through the wave of fresh pain, "Fell down. All over me."

"Why did someone let you carry hot water in a kimono? That's on them."

Shippou had said it so matter-of-factly that Ren sputtered and bit his lip before giving up and laughing out loud. Soon Kenshin joined in and Tomomi was smiling ruefully in the doorway while Kagome squinted one eye in consternation and frowned.

"Thanks, kiddo. I feel so much better now." the miko said sarcastically.

"I'm afraid it's my fault but it was an accident, Shippou-kun." Tomomi bowed again to Kagome.

"It's fine, Tomomi-chan. I'll be fine in the morning. If the Chief is finished appraising me," to which Kenshin closed his eyes and nodded, "I'd love some dinner with Shippou in our rooms, if you can show me the way?"

"Of course, my Lady. Are you ready now?"

"Yes, please." Kagome said, swinging her feet back over the side and handing Kenshin the damp cloth. "If I don't see you, I'll be sure to come say goodbye before I leave, Kenshin-san." Kagome stepped forward and enveloped him in a hug. "Thank you so much for everything."

Kenshin stood there awkwardly for a moment before carefully returning her affection, not sure how appropriate it was to embrace the future Lady of the West.

"I will look forward to your return, my Lady." he said gently, releasing her and stepping back.

Everyone left the infirmary with Kagome in the lead. The brothers said good night to each other, and Tomomi followed the miko quietly out of the infirmary. The party took three steps into the hall before Kagome sighed loudly.

"I know there are rules, Tomomi-chan, but I still can't see a thing so can someone else lead or please tell me where the hell I'm going?"

"Kagome-sama!" the deer admonished, "You mustn't curse so much! My Lord will not approve."

The priestess only sighed again and continued walking as Ren took over and lead the way. Kagome counted a left toward the stairs, straight past, a right away from the blustery courtyard, and then three turns later, she had to admit that she was hopelessly lost. It was an oddly long walk to the guest quarters, which Ren had said were situated along the mountain wall between the Palace and the entrance to the Fortress. The towering sand-colored wall of the sheer rock face that separated the Palace and Fortress was so tall, Kagome almost fell backward as her head tipped back to catch sight of the peak. Rivers of rainwater trickled down the rock before being herded into neatly carved channels and disappearing into drainage gutters beneath the ground.

_'Plumbing! So modern. How unusual.'_

"And so tall…" she marveled aloud, shielding her eyes from the rain. "Have either of you two ever been up there?"

"No." "Yes."

Ren was walking quickly, scenting the air and watching the shadows, but he spoke again as they made their way deeper into the Palace.

"The peak of the mountain is a favorite vantage point of my Lord's. We use it to gauge a hunt, monitor traffic, and my Lord uses it for a moment of peace when the Palace becomes too raucous."

"So, in other words, it's his hideout."

"I would never accuse Lord Sesshoumaru of 'hiding'… but yes."

"What does he have to hide from?"

"That is a question best left for milord to answer, Kagome-sama. Here we are: your new quarters."

They took a short hall to the right and many doors lined a narrower but still tastefully appointed hallway. Small tables sat outside each of the ten or so doors that Kagome could count in the scant light. The first door on the right was lit from within and it was there Ren stopped and waited for Tomomi to open the door. As they all filed in, Kagome took in the dusty parchment and aged bamboo scents of the room.

_'It's not used very much, I guess.'_

It was clean and well-lit with two small braziers at opposite corners providing welcome warmth and light. The heat of them rushed outward as the door opened and the faint sting of her burns in the dehumidified air reminded Kagome that there was still work to be done tonight.

"What do you think, Shippou?" Kagome asked, watching him wander around the room.

"It's comfy, I guess." He turned back to her. "How long are we staying again?"

"Only until the storm passes. Then we can go home." The sadness at the end of her statement made Tomomi frown but Ren stayed reserved.

"My Lord has given me permission to stay across the hall. So that you are aware, there are four other females staying here in the guest wing."

"Really? Not the same ones from the meeting then? There were only two…" she cocked her head to the side, wondering.

"No. Erm," Ren looked anxiously down at Shippou before continuing, "these females were brought as prospective Mates for Sesshoumaru-sama since it was rumored he would begin to search this year. I do not anticipate any problems but to be safe, I will be staying awake. Especially given your encounter in the infirmary."

"Why would **they** care about Momma?" Shippou asked.

"I'll tell you in a minute, honey. Tomomi, I'm sorry to ask but would you mind bringing us some dinner? I'm starving and I'm ready for some peace and quiet after today."

"Of course, my Lady." Tomomi bowed and left.

"I will leave you as well, Kagome-sama. I'll be across the hall if you have any trouble or need anything."

"Will do. If you feel my power flare in the next few hours, I'm meditating and it's normal so don't freak out."

"'Freak out'? You phrase things in the oddest way sometimes, my Lady."

"Yeah, remote village. Sorry." she apologized. "Goodnight, Captain."

Ren bowed and closed the door behind him. As soon as they were alone, the day came crashing down around her and Kagome sat heavily on a pale blue cushion beside the low dining table.

"Momma, you okay?"

"Oh, Shippou. I don't even know where to begin… Why don't you tell me about **your** day while we wait for dinner?"

"My day was weird. Rin has lots of games and good ideas but she also likes to read poetry now," he stuck out his tongue, "so I had to listen to lots of that. She writes it, too, so she had** even more** to read this afternoon." He feigned exhaustion and Kagome giggled.

Shippou scampered up to the middle of the low table and stood before her, threw his tiny arms open wide, and with a gentle 'poof!' of kitsune magic, he was transformed into an actor in an elaborate kabuki costume. The tiny fox cleared his throat and began to dramatically recite one of Rin's poems. Kagome smiled and laughed at his transformation, and enthusiastically clapped when he was finished.

"That was amazing! So accurate and you did it so quickly! Your teachers must be very impressed."

"Thanks, but that was nothin'. You need to come back to school with me sometime." Kagome nodded. "After the rain started, we just sat around wondering about what you guys were doing. She told me some of what the Lords and ladies were like, and they don't sound friendly, so then I started to worry about you."

"Aww, Ship. I missed you today. It wasn't all bad but having to talk about losing Inuyasha again was- well, it was hard."

Shippou opened his mouth to say something else but Tomomi walked in with dinner and a smile.

"Oh, that smells amazing, Tomomi-chan! Have you seen Rin tonight, too? Is she okay?"

"Rin-sama is well. My Lord is speaking with her now." Tomomi gave Kagome a knowing look as she set the trays down.

"What did the bushy, cat guy want today before lunch?" Shippou peered at Kagome around Tomomi trying to lay dishes around the table.

"Ha! You mean Katsurou-sama? Well, that's part of what I have to tell you after dinner. For now, let's dig in!"

Dinner was quiet and amiable as they chatted back and forth, and Kagome felt her heart relax for the first time today once they were all alone in their own little world. He had needed it, too, because as soon as they were done, Shippou crawled under the table and sat in her lap, snuggling into her anywhere he could while avoiding her burns.

"So, I have to tell you something important, Shippou, and I don't want you to freak out or get mad before you hear everything I have to say."

"Geez, it can't be that bad."

"Well, it means a big change, more big change I guess, but I want you to remember that we'll have each other and that's what matters."

…

"Rin will have a mother?" the little girl gaped, hope blooming in her dark brown eyes.

"Yes, if you wish to think of her as such." Sesshoumaru nodded.

"Oh, I do! Kagome-sama is so nice and sweet, just like a mother should be." Rin's sudden blush took him by surprise but she continued. "I just know you will happy together, milord."

"Hm. You are pleased and safe from harm. That is enough." He stood and went to check the progress of the bath being warmed for him.

Rin's eyes followed Sesshoumaru around the room. "You do not like Kagome-sama?"

"I appreciate that she is willing to commit to me to ensure your safety." he said from the bathing room doorway.

"You don't like her then…" Rin considered for another moment before speaking. "Are you angry?"

"No." came the curt reply from within.

"Is Rin too much trouble?"

"No."

"But Rin has caused milord to have to marry Kagome-sama, which makes him unhappy?"

Sesshoumaru walked back over to the table and sat down again.

"I am not angry or unhappy, Rin. The miko is… a challenge."

"Kagome-sama? If I may, milord," he nodded curiously, "Kagome-sama is easy to understand. She likes to help people and loves everyone. She's only unhappy when she cannot do either of those things."

"Rin, the miko is not so simple. When you are matured, you will understand."

"Perhaps Rin does not want to grow up then, milord. It sounds complicated."

"The responsibility that comes with maturity can be."

…

"Sesshoumaru?!" Shippou yelled.

"I know."

"But- but- **Sesshoumaru?!**" he yelled louder.

Kagome nodded and resolutely sighed. "But don't you agree it's for the best? For Rin's sake?"

"No! He's a murderer, Kagome! He killed Inuyasha! He hates humans! He allied himself with Naraku, damn it!"

"That was a long time ago, Shippou. Technically, Sango allied herself with him, too, at one point. Naraku was evil and manipulative."

Dark, red eyebrows furrowed in anger on his youthful face and Shippou tried again to reason with her.

"So is **he**!"

"Now that's not true. He brought you here, didn't he?"

"Because Inuyasha told him to! He never would have done that for you on his own."

"He came to the infirmary to save us when that spider youkai attacked, didn't he? When you went to get him?"

"He was defending his home, not you. Sesshoumaru won't care what happens to you or to me! He cares about Rin but that's it! How can you accept all this so easily?"

"Besides saving Rin, you really wanna know?" Her eyes were kind and gazed at him with affection.

"Yes!" He threw his arms up, knowing her reason would never be good enough.

"I'm doing it for you, too." Kagome sighed, taking his small clawed hands in her own. "We haven't talked about it much but I'm not going to live forever." Sadness lit his emerald eyes and he stilled. "I may not live to see you fully grown, Shippou, but **he** will. He'll be around long after I'm gone. He's already agreed. It was my one request in all this. We'll all be together for as long as I live and I hope by then, you two will come to some sort of agreement."

The priestess watched as he seriously and quietly considered what she said.

"I- I know you won't be around forever. I just don't like to think about it." Kagome placed a palm on his cheek and he nuzzled into it. "I understand why you did it, even if I don't like it. But do we **have** to live here?"

"Eventually." she nodded. "For the next two years, we'll be in Edo and figuring out how to live on our own. I need to find a priestess to replace me in the village and we can decide what to do from there. So far, Sesshoumaru hasn't made any demands on what happens after that. We'll be here, but that's all I know. We have the right to ask him questions so whenever you want to talk, I'll make sure he listens."

"Can I still go to school?"

"Of course. That's a reasonable request. We'll be together, Rin will be safe, but we'll have to live here with him. All things considered, it's not so bad."

"I guess… but how do you feel? Are you okay?"

"No, not really. We were talking before you found me in the infirmary and we have some… fundamental differences of opinion on what the future looks like."

"Well, he's a full youkai, Kagome. He's probably having a hard time with this, too. They- **we** think a little differently. I'm used to you, and Inuyasha was used to humans too, but Sesshoumaru is not like us."

"Can you explain it to me?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"I don't know everything, Momma, but I do know that Mating him is nothing to sneeze at. He's a powerful daiyoukai and their bonds are stronger. My mom used to call it the Bond, anyway."

"He did, too." At Shippou's questioning look, she elaborated. "That's what we were talking about before you found me."

He nodded. "It's more than survival, she would say, it was weaving two lives into one so that after, no one could tell where one ended and the other began."

"That's sweet. And scary. And definitely won't happen between me and Sesshoumaru."

"Oh, there's more. It's also a risk. Papa told us he knew whenever Ma was in danger, and the other way, too. One time, he flew off to find her after she'd been hunting and wouldn't talk for days about what had happened. I overheard them talking about it one night and she said he'd lost himself in a rage, that she'd never seen him like that before, and that he'd done horrible things to the youkai who'd tried to capture her. He said he'd felt her panic and fear and it had nearly driven him mad."

"That's terrible." Kagome said sadly.

"The scary thing was that Pa didn't clearly remember any of it. He explained instincts to me after that. Like Inuyasha and I did for you. Sesshoumaru is letting **you** be his weakness, too, as much as Rin is now. That's what I can't figure out. Why would he do that?"

"It was the only option to him really. Katsurou-sama didn't really give him a choice. He was dead set on me and this Mating proposal. Mate him or Rin dies."

"I don't think that's all he wanted then. We're gonna have to watch out, Momma."

"It's time to get back to training I think." She eyed the familiar brown pack thrown in the corner and hoped her battle armor was still there. "But that's all for tomorrow. I need to recharge and you need some sleep."

They both nodded and stacked the dishes for Tomomi before Shippou changed and curled up on the futon to sleep. Kagome covered him up and kissed him goodnight then settled herself near the brazier nearby to meditate. She closed her eyes and listened. No sounds other than her own breath and the pattering rain outside. The occasional gust of wind rattled the doors but the sounds all merged together as she slipped into meditation.

For hours into the night, Kagome sat as the pale azure glow of her power thrummed around her in ghostly cords, darting here and there searching for weakness in her aura and her body. She could still feel the peaceful and deep sleep of the kit not far away and remained loosely rooted to the room as her consciousness drifted somewhere in the in-between. Sometime before the break of morning, heavy eyelids fluttered open over determined stormy blue eyes and Kagome rolled her shoulders and flexed her hands open and closed, testing their strength.

"Finally."

She tucked her legs beneath her, feeling the stiff muscles gathering and tensing, their strength returned. She tested the skin over her breasts with gentle fingers and looked down to see the burns were gone, replaced with the pale, smooth skin she was used to. Planting one foot on the smooth hardwood floors, Kagome rose almost gracefully in one smooth motion and nearly shouted in joy before remembering Shippou was asleep a few feet away. Looking over at the sleeping kit, who was dealing so well with too many things beyond his maturity level, Kagome smiled warmly and crossed the room to lay down next to him. Peeling back the pale golden quilt and tucking her recovered body around his, they fell asleep together for the first time in too long. She missed the genuine smile that settled on his face as her arm wrapped around him while they slept.

…

Sesshoumaru sat gazing out into the valley below from the mountain's peak. His pale hair and pelt whipped nearly horizontal to the horizon in the remaining winds of the typhoon. He took a deep breath of the damp and cool air of the early morning. The storm was passing and though there was no longer any rain beating down on the Palace, the heavy air promising more rain, dark skies, and blustery winds were a nuisance to guests who still needed to travel. By tomorrow, the Council and the miko could leave and his home would be his own again.

At least for the next two years.

After that, the Palace would be shared by not only Rin but also the woman, the kit, and any number of bastards she chose to grace the Palace with during her short life. Two years and then a human lifetime of inconveniences. And this one was particularly loud and ridiculous. She did not even have the common sense to submit to him. A meek female would have been easy to handle but this one did not have the ability to take orders in favor of openly berating him in front of his ward, his staff, and the Council.

_'So how do you plan to create this perfect heir you so desperately need when you physically can't?'_

Her words echoed in his head. It was true. He could not sire inuyoukai heirs. Not full-blooded pups, at any rate. His mother's suggestion of seeking out the wolf packs to the north and farther west was repulsive. Wolves were too untamed by nature to rule from the Palace and cared little for civility. It would end in blood. Kitsune were too ostentatious in general but that was, at least, a better idea. He could plan a trip to the South and visit the kitsune villages there this coming year. Vixens were not known for their steadfastness but pregnancy did not last long and then he could return and set himself to raising his heir. Alone.

It was not always so.

A pale face graced with indigo markings splashed across high cheekbones flashed through his mind's eye and he growled, willing the images away. But memories are stubborn. Her short, black hair laid on the grass beneath her in a halo of ebony. Some stuck in rivulets to her forehead, some to her cheeks. Her deep cerulean eyes opened and closed in between her gasps of pleasure, again and again, as he rode her roughly on the forest floor. Small hands were desperately grasping his sweat-slicked back, deadly claws barely piercing his perfect skin in painful, erotic torture. When the scream of his name during her completion seared its way through his memories, Sesshoumaru snarled and whipped his head around, forcibly ending the vision and the torture of seeing her yet again.

_'It is not enough that you haunt me in sleep but now in my waking hours, as well?'_ he thought brokenly. One hand touched the right side of his neck reverently and he forced a deep, settling breath into his lungs.

A bellow from below did more to calm him than anything else in this moment could have.

"My Lord? Would you… if you… before…"

The General was calling him but even with his superior hearing, the gale force winds took the rest of Ryota's message away. With a step over the edge, Sesshoumaru let himself free fall until he was but a few feet from the ground then flared his youki and stepped lightly onto the gravel of the Fortress training grounds.

"What is it, General?"

"I was wondering if you would like to spar with me this morning? I was hoping to entice Lord Katsurou but since they decided not to stay through the storm, I have been feeling a need for exercise."

Ryota rolled his shoulders and his leather armor creaked over his broad chest and shoulders.

"I have one request however: no poison? I have other duties today and I would rather avoid being bedridden, antidote or not."

A pale eyebrow arched. "Then you must also keep your talents to yourself. This One has no wish to heal frostbite from his extremities this morning."

"Hardly the same thing but if you insist…" Ryota shrugged.

"I accept. **Jaken!**" Sesshoumaru bellowed, knowing he'd be somewhere nearby.

A muffled squawk sounded somewhere through the gateway to the Palace behind them and the daiyoukai could hear the padding of small feet and huffs of breath. Sesshoumaru did not wait for him to arrive but began speaking as the small youkai hurried toward them.

"The General and I are sparring. Keep my guests away from the Fortress until we are done."

"Of course- milord- I will- stand guard!" the small kappa huffed.

Eager to begin, Ryota's face stretched too wide as his teeth lengthened and jagged black stripes wound from the corners of his eyes back into his short crop of dark brown hair.

"Are you ready, my Lord?" he growled.

With a grunt and a high backflip, Ryota transformed in midair, landing as a massive snarling, black bear on the far side of the training grounds. His pale blue eyes now framed glowing and golden pupils, and elongated fangs hung below his jaw when Ryota finished bellowing his challenge and his giant maw closed.

Sesshoumaru smiled cruelly and his own hair and pelt lifted into the air as youki exploded around him, lighting the inu from top to bottom in shades of pale green. In a flash, Sesshoumaru bolted in a blinding sphere of light toward the kumadaiyoukai pawing the ground in anticipation, and he answered Ryota's challenge with a roar of his own that rattled the training grounds and echoed off the mountains around them.

…

Kagome slept well for the first time in days and woke around dawn to the smell of breakfast and gentle snores of her son as he lay tucked into her side. Stroking his striking red hair affectionately, she turned over and sat up, stretching upward and ridding her back of the stiffness of sleep. She rose easily, glad to be able to do so without pain, and checked the table to find tea and warm food already laid out.

_'Thanks, Tomomi.'_ she thought fondly.

Shippou slept on as she ate the first few bites of breakfast, cups of tea, and generally enjoyed the quiet morning in their own little world. Sunlight was just peeking through the hallway door, casting odd shapes in sunlight on the paper. The temperature was chilly but the air smelled so clean and fresh up here on the mountain. Her soul was still stitching itself back together after losing so much but she could feel the first twinges of peace carving its way back to her heart. If this was what her life could be after the next few years, there were worse ways to live.

_'I doubt Sesshoumaru will be around much anyway so more than likely it will be me and the children all day. What does a Lady of the West even do? I said I needed to leave him to think about it but it was just an excuse to run away.'_

"Which solves nothing, you coward." she berated herself.

She swiped a hand over her face and regretted the way they left things. Sesshoumaru was being honest with her, after all. His view on the matter of hanyou was backward and uncompromising, but he also wasn't attempting to shield her from the truth of their relationship and somewhere in the core of her being, she appreciated that. Kagome sighed over her grilled fish and knew she'd have to apologize for storming out.

_'I'll never agree to that ridiculous plan of his but we have time to work something out we both agree with. Kami knows what it would be though.'_

Shippou stumbled out from behind the screen separating the dining area from the futons and halted her contemplation.

"Good morning, honey. Did you sleep well?"

"Yep. Best sleep I've gotten in days." he said, rubbing his eyes and yawning a small fanged yawn.

"Me too. Now, get some breakfast cause it's training this morning for us both. I hope the storm has cleared out."

"It hasn't," he ticked his head to the side just slightly, listening and sniffing, "and it's still gonna rain some more."

"Oh well. Training then and we can spend some time with Rin, but apparently **not** reading poetry," she giggled, "and then I need to talk to Sesshoumaru."

"You gonna give him an earful?" Shippou asked hopefully, sitting at the table with her and spooning some food into bowls next to his own fish.

"No, if this is going to work at all, I need to apologize. But first, I'm going to get warmed up and see how much work I need to do to catch back up. Miroku will kill me if I haven't been practicing."

Shippou shrugged and Kagome used her recovered senses to find Ren still asleep in the room across the hall.

_'He said he was going to stay up last night. I'll be fine now. Let him sleep.'_

"First, to find the training grounds. Surely, they'll have targets set up I can use if I stay out of the way."

"Can I come, too?"

"Sure thing. You finish up and I'll get changed. I guess your clothes from home will have to do for now. I hadn't packed any training clothes for you on this trip."

Kagome got up, poured him some tea, and went to rummage through her bag for her battle raiment and armor.

"Ay fig-urd. Ith oh-tay. I'm almoth done." he said, stuffing another big bite of rice in his mouth.

"Chew, Shippou! And don't talk with your mouth full." she called from behind the screen as she changed. The little kit rolled his eyes at her reprimand. "And don't you roll your eyes at me!"

"How?!" he gaped.

Twinkling blue eyes peered at him around the screen and she winked.

"Cause I'm yours and I know you."

_'Mine.'_ he smiled. Love and a sense of security warmed his chest and he sighed.

"I'm almost done-" Kagome grunted behind the screen, then dropped her armor and nearly fell over when a hair-raising tidal wave of youki flooded their room. "What the hell was that?!"

Shippou growled involuntarily and stood on all fours facing the door, his tail flared.

"I dunno but it feels big! Get dressed! You can't go out like that!"

"This thing-" she grunted and tugged, "is a little hard to hurry into!"

Quickly as she could, Kagome yanked and shimmied the slayer's gift up her body until it hugged her form from neck to ankles. Socks and boots were roughly tugged on. She opted for only the breastplate, shoulder, and thigh plates and then grabbed her bow, staff, and quiver.

"Ready!" Shippou yelled from the doorway and Kagome scooped him up to sit on her shoulder as she ran full out away from the guest quarters, trying to find the source of the throbbing mass of youki that was flaring wildly somewhere nearby.

_'I feel Sesshoumaru's youki but there's something else there with him!'_

"Help me tie this on?" she asked, shoving the quiver straps into his waiting hands as she kept running.

"Gotcha!" he yipped, taking them in hand and buckling as she ran.

"Can you smell them, Ship?"

"Yep, but the wind is blowing the scent all over! I can't keep track of it."

Between the two of them, Kagome and Shippou navigated the labyrinth of passageways and the interior catacombs of the mountain to finally break free of the shadows of the mountain and blink into the dawning sunlight across the massive, open training grounds.

Not taking the time to absorb the sheer size of the section of mountain carved out to make the training grounds, Kagome instead gawked at the scuffling mass of two huge demons who were locked in battle, trying to tear each other apart. She vaguely heard Jaken running toward her and yelling about 'interrupting' but ran past him at a full sprint to find out what she could do to help.

"Sesshoumaru?!" she yelled, recognizing the giant silver inu for who he was.

Pale blue pupils found his future Mate standing just beyond the Fortress gate, her black hair was wild and whipping around in the gray winds of the nearly-passed storm. Her battle outfit was incomplete but stood out against the pale sand color of the rock. She was out of breath, having run here apparently, and the flush highlighting her face was becoming. The kit sat on her shoulder, his aura surrounding her protectively. When the inu delayed answering her, her bow was drawn and an arrow nocked and ready to fly. The tingling sensation of her power filled the air and when her hands lit the arrow with reiki pointed at the daiyoukai she did not know, Sesshoumaru realized perhaps he should stop appraising her and explain.

He growled and leapt away from Ryota to land directly in front of her. She covered her face to protect it from the dust kicked up as he landed but otherwise made no move to retreat. He lowered his head and stared at her through one huge crimson eye. She leaned around him to find the great bear laying down with crossed paws, yawning and waiting. Shippou hopped down and started sniffing the air but stayed near her legs.

"Are you okay?" she asked quickly, one hand tentatively reaching out before she caught herself and started to withdraw it. "I felt your youki and another I didn't know. I thought you were being attacked."

His instincts were heightened from sparring, and then the flare of reiki behind him had been jarring. Between the two, Sesshoumaru had to consciously remind himself in that moment that she was not a danger in order to stifle a warning growl. He inhaled, her scent familiar to him now and he found his instincts calmed somewhat by her presence. He could smell the unique camellias and rain of her natural scent but more than that, the bite of shochu filled his nose and mixed with the sour notes of yuzu. An upsetting mixture of guilt and nervousness.

_'What has the miko to feel guilty or nervous about? She is obviously not scared of this form, oddly enough for a human.'_

His thoughts drifted back to the conversation with Rin the previous night and her childish assessment of the miko: _'Kagome-sama is easy to understand. She likes to help people and loves everyone. She's only unhappy when she cannot do either of those things.'_

_'She was worried for me?'_

"_**Foolish woman.**_" he growled.

"_**Future Mate.**_" Ryota shot back from behind him, blinking one ice blue eye at his Lord. "_**Apologize, Alpha. Her concern speaks well of her.**_"

"_**Perhaps.**_" he conceded.

Watching her start to withdraw the small hand, he made a decision and closed his eyes, leaning in ever so slightly. If she needed encouragement, this could be a first step to their reconciliation over last night.

"You want me to touch you?" came her timid and surprised question.

He only gave a quiet 'whuff' of approval and Shippou translated it to her as consent. The kit was unsure whether to translate the whole conversation and found himself shocked and surprised by both Sesshoumaru's consideration and his deference to the bear daiyoukai. Kagome knew none of this as she leaned forward and let the first few tufts of the fur over his left cheek brush against her hand.

"It's soft…" she marveled, digging her fingers deeper to find the warm skin beneath.

Sesshoumaru shivered when her fingertips made contact with his cheek. How long had it been since he allowed someone to touch his person so openly? Since he had welcomed it? Her fingers were strong and firmly kneaded the skin beneath his pillowy fur. She was not scared or shy but he mischievously wondered if she would be so bold if he were standing in front of her on two legs instead of four.

_'How odd that she is so much more at ease with this form than the false one.'_

Up to her forearms in plush, white fur, Kagome smiled genuinely when he lowered himself all the way down and patiently let her explore. A few more minutes passed until Shippou grew brave and leaned forward, too.

"It's okay, Shippou. Come here. You don't mind, do you?" Kagome asked the inu gently. "He needs to feel comfortable with you, too."

Shippou heard the 'whuff' of his approval again and cautiously reached forward.

"It **is** soft. Reminds me of my Pa's fur…"

"One day, I'm sure you'll be able to take your true form, too. Between us, we can figure it out." She smiled gently down at him, hoping that was enough to stave off her son's sadness.

"Maybe… maybe Sesshoumaru-sama can help?" Shippou asked hopefully.

Slowly, Sesshoumaru raised his youki and gave a warning growl to back away before reverting back onto two legs.

"Perhaps. Your mother has spoken to you already of the events of yesterday?"

"Yes, I told him." Kagome supplied.

"Then you realize we will have much time here to train when my schedule allows." Shippou nodded and Sesshoumaru turned to Kagome. "Rin was unsurprisingly most excited when I explained the situation to her last night."

"Oh, good. I'm glad she's okay with it. Shippou was concerned at first-" and the kit's eyes opened wide in shock.

"Momma, don't!" he said, afraid.

"-but now he's trying to understand. Right, honey?"

"Yeah, I just don't want Kagome to be unhappy."

"Then you must behave in a way that does not make her unhappy." Sesshoumaru rumbled.

"No, I meant because of **you**." Shippou blurted, then quickly covered his mouth with both hands.

Raucous laughter echoed in the training field behind them and a large, tanned hand clapped heavily on Sesshoumaru's left shoulder.

"You'll not be getting away with anything, my Lord, with a kitsune for a son. Ha! And this must be the miko I have heard so much about?" Ryota said jovially, cocking an eyebrow at the inudaiyoukai.

Sesshoumaru nodded and Ryota stepped forward and bowed before dwarfing her small hand with his own, raising it to his lips and placing a respectful kiss on the back.

"Miko, I introduce Ryota, third son of the Northern bear clan and General of the armies of the West."

"Welcome to the West, my Lady. It a privilege to meet you at last."

"Oh! Ryota-taishou!" Kagome brightened as recognition lit her face. "Ren-taii told me about you. It's a pleasure to put a face to the name."

"You embarrass me, my Lady. And where is the pup? Isn't he supposed to be assigned to you?"

"Indeed. The Captain seems to frequently have other things to do in lieu of his assignments." Sesshoumaru nearly growled.

"No, don't be mad at him, Sesshoumaru. He stayed up all night to watch over us while I meditated and we slept. He was asleep when we left and I let him be."

"Miko, I warned you about taking control of This One's soldiers-"

"I didn't 'control' him, I just left him to himself. There's a difference." She crossed her arms, amused.

"Hn. Jaken!" the inu barked over his shoulder.

"Hai, milord!" came the throaty and distant reply of the kappa.

"Fetch Ren in the guest quarters and make sure he outfits himself properly. We will be training today since he finds himself so well rested." Sesshoumaru scowled and Jaken shivered.

"H- Hai, milord. At once."

Shippou shook his head. "Glad I'm not Ren…"

…

Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru "trained" the Captain for an hour or more. She noted that he used the same brutal, merciless tactics he had when fighting Inuyasha but she began to see them in a new light. Miroku's training had been nothing like this but he** had** used the shakujou staff more than once to trip her, jab a weak or unprotected spot, or roughly correct a sloppy stance. She realized that Sesshoumaru was doing the same thing, more or less, but using the tools familiar to **him**: swords and youki. Ren was a daiyoukai, after all, and could handle the powerful blows. Kagome wondered how much Inuyasha ever guessed that Sesshoumaru might have been trying to help him. And how many more times in her life she would have to put the pieces together when the silent Lord of the West decided to keep the truth to himself.

Ren was more accomplished than she had realized, too. He parried and dodged Sesshoumaru with his single blade time and again but was unable to strike back. Occasionally, the Western Lord would bark a correction or punish him for an open vulnerable spot and then they would begin again. Ren accepted the criticism with serious consideration and repeated the mistakes only once or twice more.

"He's pretty good, isn't he?" Shippou asked, watching carefully.

"Yeah, I didn't know. We haven't had the chance to talk about his battle experience." Kagome added, eyes following the flow of Sesshoumaru's youki whip snapping at Ren's knees to force the Captain to stop blocking high.

Ryota came to stand beside her and her eyes nervously flitted from the battle to the towering daiyoukai to her right. If he sensed her unease, he had the good manners not to let it faze him.

"It should not surprise you that Sesshoumaru-sama is very particular about who he personally trains. Ren showed promise as a pup so my Lord took it upon himself to educate both of Kazuhiko's orphans. The younger never cared much for combat but mastered the basics and then chose his own path."

"Kazuhiko?" Kagome questioned.

"Ren has never mentioned his late father? He was a legend. An accomplished General under the Great Lord Touga himself. He commanded the gales of the mountain and aided the Inu no Taishou in constructing this very Fortress. Kazuhiko was a master of wind and invaluable against the dragons of the East during the Four Points Wars. Ren and Kenshin inherited his skills in their own ways but not to the same extent."

"And what happened to him?"

"He died just after the Wars but most peculiarly. The healers said he was overcome from the loss of his Mate a few years after the wars and he withered into nothing in the woods all alone. Lord Touga returned his body but found speaking of his death difficult. His Mate was never found but the brothers showed up at the gates one day near death from being attacked and Lady Kikuko immediately took them in. They have lived here ever since."

"…Withered?" Kagome mumbled quietly to herself, putting the pieces together as she watched Ren leap several feet into the air to avoid a vertical strike from Bakusaiga.

_'Isn't that what they said Inuyasha had done to Ren? That he was near death and weakened? Could the Inu no Taishou have done that to Ren and Kenshin's father, too?'_

"He takes in a lot of strays, huh? Rin and those two. Who else?" Shippou said casually.

"Shippou! We have a responsibility to help those we can at all times." Kagome drew her mouth in consternation.

"Maybe miko do," Ryota cut in, "but orphan youkai are frequently left to themselves. Ren and Kenshin were very lucky. Most will not fraternize outside of their clans or commit the energy to raising young that aren't their own."

"And sometimes they avoid even their own blood. Oh, I'm well aware." Kagome scowled across the training ground at Sesshoumaru, her hackles raised. "My husband was one of those orphans. He was strong and clever, but he was lucky to have survived alone at such a young age. It took him the better part of our relationship just to get used to the idea of being loved unconditionally. Children should never grow up like he did." she finished darkly.

"I am sorry, my Lady. I did not know Inuyasha-sama's origins. I know of his parentage, of course, but beyond that, Sesshoumaru-sama never spoke of him."

"A guilty conscience has a way of doing that to you." she said. "I need to shoot something. Excuse me, General." Kagome shifted her weight and hefted her bow and quiver up before walking determinedly away.

Shippou sighed and leapt away to follow her. "And she was having such a good day…"

Ryota stayed where he was, confused.

…

_'You were born ignorant, and you live as a miserable half-demon.'_

**Thwack!** Another arrow found its way across the field and buried itself near the center of the target.

_'I despise the fact that my father's blood flows through your veins, half-breed!'_

**Thwack!**

_'I have never considered that half-demon my brother!'_

**Crrrack!** The target split in two with the force of reiki and the deep draw of the bow in her white-knuckled hands.

"Argh! Damn it all!"

"Momma? Are you okay?"

"No, I'm angry and feel useless and ridiculous all over again!"

She had almost let him in. The daiyoukai who had tormented Inuyasha for the better part of his life and then ignored him completely for the rest of it. She had run her fingers through his impossibly soft fur and thought for just a moment about accepting him for who and what he was, actually feeling guilty for storming out on him when they had been having a civil discussion. And now, her traitorous brain was running through every unforgiving thing he had ever said and she found herself hating him all over again. It didn't do any good. Logically, she knew that, but it didn't stop the need for her to let the anger work itself out in the form of splintered archery targets.

"Can we train together for a little while?" Shippou asked, jumping into her arms.

"Of course we can. Sorry, Shippou. It's a 'feelings' day."

"Most days are 'feelings' days right now so don't worry about it. It's what we need."

"I've taught you well." She nuzzled his cheek. "You're too smart sometimes, runt. Thanks. Let me unstrap this mess and we'll get to it, okay?"

He nodded and stepped back. Once she was freed of the quiver and staff bindings, she stretched her body through the forms Miroku and Sango had drilled into her brain. Kagome smiled remembering Sango catching him focused on the wrong thing during their first session.

_'Now, place your hands flat to the floor, yes, and spread your feet wider. Deeper bend, Kagome-sama. Touch your chest to your thighs.'_

_'Miroku, I may not know these forms yet but how can you see what I'm doing when you're standing behind me?'_

_'Ahem!' Sango cleared her throat from the doorway to the central shrine room._

_'Heh heh, my lovely wife wishes to finish teaching you the stretches you will need. I shall let her take over and get back to the children. Bye!'_

_Kagome waited until he had scurried away before sighing and straightening up._

_'He wasn't helping me stretch anymore, was he?' Kagome said with a deadpan look._

_'He was not.' Sango scowled, then both women broke into giggles._

_'At least some things never change.'_

_'I think I'd be more worried if he stopped groping me now.'_

_'Sango! You know he'd never really try anything with me, right?'_

_"I know that, and you know that, but he can never know that we know. Keeps him on his lecherous toes.'_

_They laughed heartily again and then got back to work._

Kagome finished the set and felt her body grow warm and responsive.

"Okay, just like back home, right?" Kagome asked. Shippou nodded seriously, taking a serious stance. "Oh wait, we should probably warn someone before I start firing reiki in a demon stronghold."

"Good idea." He nodded.

Looking around, Ryota was still passively watching Sesshoumaru beat Ren into submission so she jogged over to him.

"Will it bother anyone if we train over there on the other field? I need to use my reiki but I don't want to accidentally cause a problem."

"The soldiers are not scheduled to train until this afternoon on the far field so you may use it, my Lady. As for your holy energy, I cannot promise that feathers will not be ruffled but I will help explain should the need arise."

"Thank you. I'll keep it to a minimum. And please keep everyone back. I really don't need a mishap on my conscience today." Kagome said, her eyes turning sad.

"Are you well, Kagome-sama?"

"I am…" she struggled to find the word, "processing." Ryota watched her eyes searching for Sesshoumaru and when she found him, the sadness in them grew. A few more seconds passed and she shook it away, meeting the General's eyes again. "And training helps with that. See you later, Ryota-taishou. Come on, Shippou. Let's see how out of practice we are."

"Momma, it's only been, like, a week."

The miko pointed an index finger to the sky like Miroku does when he's trying to be serious. "Miroku would say that two days is a day and a half too long. Beat you there, Shippou!"

"Nuh uh! Watch this!"

They raced each other across the gap between the training fields and Shippou put on a burst of speed on all fours to whiz past her legs. He became a red blur and shot past, skidding to a stop in a cloud of dust among the gravel and folding his arms across his chest, looking smug. Kagome laughed out loud and pushed her own even harder to catch up. He always won and it made her proud that he was growing used to himself.

They met in the middle of the field and squared off. Kagome closed her eyes, laid her hands palms up to the dark clouds gathered above, and reached deep within herself, power bubbling up and filling her being. The smile that split her face was genuine as it greeted her, refreshed and renewed, like an old friend.

"Start with five?"

"Ten." he said, grinning cheekily.

An ebony eyebrow raised in doubt before she grinned right back. "You asked for it."

Her sapphire eyes flashed in the early morning light and Shippou narrowed his own, readying himself. Emerald irises framed the inhuman cat-like pupils that had narrowed to a hair's breadth as his instincts reacted to the challenge she presented. Without warning, her power poured forth and ten glowing spheres of reiki blinked into existence and surrounded her. A second later she flicked a hand and side stepped, hurling one towards the kit. Shippou leapt away, running in a wide circle around her, and the dance began. Kagome called it back in a wide arc but sent another hurtling toward him in the opposite direction, forcing him to leap upward to avoid them both as they crossed paths beneath him.

"Good!" she praised.

Trying to force him to move again, she sent another from below as he hung in the air and he had to transform into a bird and dive away to avoid the three now chasing him from below, left, and right.

"Faster, Ship, they're catching up!"

"I don't think so!" he grinned, and a cloud of blue smoke 'poofed!' into existence, obscuring him from view and growing larger by the second. Kagome wouldn't let him off so easily and sealed the hiding kit in a barrier of her power, raising him higher into the air.

"What the- Gah!"

"Here comes the fourth!"

"Let me out!"

"**Get** yourself out!"

"Fine! You asked for it!"

A split second later something landed heavily on the bottom barrier and it became nearly impossible for Kagome to keep it aloft. She grunted with the effort and finally had to lower it to the ground. Dispelling the shield and readying the next volley of reiki to chase him down. Out of the smoke, she heard a familiar 'twang' of his slingshot.

"Shit."

A second later something pelted the side of her neck and clung there, oozing down her shoulder. She reached a hand up to test it and found slimy, green goo stuck to her fingers and leaving stringy trails from her hand to her neck.

"What is this?! Kami, Shippou, it's in my hair!"

She heard a muffled cackle of laughter and spread out her senses to find him. He was nearby but another gust of wind carried most of the blue mist away and in its place was a… hole?

"Now where did you get to?" she muttered quietly to herself.

Casting a net all around with her energy, Kagome found him burrowing below as quickly as he could towards her. She ran several feet away, stepping heavily to ensure the vibrations would reach him, and was rewarded when he changed directions and began to follow. Several more heavy steps took her in a wide arc back around to his original hole where she readied all ten spheres in a circle around the entrance and waited. It took another few minutes for him to make it but when his dirt-covered, auburn head burst through the ground and he looked around, his mother was standing there with a smile and all ten spheres floating around her.

"Damn it." he huffed.

"Language."

"Hypocrit."

"**Adult.** Now what in the seven hells is this mess in my hair?"

"You really wanna know?" His devilish smirk gave her pause.

"Maybe not. It's bathtime anyway."

"Weren't you gonna train with Ren, too?"

She glanced over at the other field and saw Ren panting and kneeling. Sesshoumaru walked over to stand above him and looked down, his pale hair curtaining his face. Ren nodded a few times and then stood and bowed to the elder inu before finding her with his pale green eyes and jogging over.

"Good morning, my Lady." Ren bowed. "I apologize for my absence this morning."

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked, concerned.

"Yes. My Lord was right in lecturing me for leaving you alone." Ren paused and wrinkled his nose. "But why are you covered in oni snot?"

"**Shippou!**" Kagome yelled.

But the kit was halfway back to the tunnels and running as fast as he could, laughing the whole way.

…

AN: It was over 20 pages and getting ridiculous! Next time, we wrap up her time in the West and see her back home. As always, let me know what you think about the new developments and I hope everyone is safe and well!


	22. Chapter 22 - Uprising

**Author's Note**: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 22 – Uprising**

A few minutes later, Kagome and Shippou sat in the large, inlaid women's tub in the guest bathing rooms. The young priestess was seated against the wall on a submerged, stone bench and Shippou was standing shoulder-deep and just out of reach, batting Kagome's soap-lathered hands away.

"Shippou, hold still! You've got dirt and pieces of gravel still stuck in your ears and your hair."

"Gah! Leave them alone! You scrub too hard. I'll get it!" He covered his ears with both hands and glared at her.

"You'd better. And you'd better never, **ever** pelt me with oni snot again." She shivered, fingering her now-clean hair. "That was disgusting."

"But it worked didn't it? Gave me a chance to get away. I thought for sure I'd get you this time." He grinned as he scrubbed the dirt out of his tail.

"That was a good trick. And you might have but next time, if you feel heavy footsteps, don't take the bait." she said playfully, winking at him.

"You did that on purpose?" He blinked at her.

"Of course. This was training." She tapped his nose with her index finger. "If you get caught like that again, do my heart a favor and burrow in the **opposite** direction, okay?"

"I know I'm still learning but I **can** take care of myself."

"I know you can but there's wisdom in running away sometimes, too. Now come here and let's get you clean and get out."

"And then what?"

"I don't know. Maybe we should invite Rin over for dinner and ask her to read you some more poetry?" She gave him a knowing smirk.

"No, Ma-"

"Oh, Rin would love to do that, Kagome-sama!" came an exuberant voice from the entrance to the women's bath.

Kagome and Shippou looked at each other and giggled for a second before Rin made her way through the ivory, linen curtains and joined them, wrapped up in a robe and carrying her bathing things.

"Hello, Rin-chan. Are you bathing here, too?"

"Yes, Kagome-sama. Rin's bath is nice but lonely. When Sesshoumaru-sama told me you had come to the baths, I hoped I would catch you."

"Well, I'm glad you did. Sesshoumaru said he talked to you last night?"

"Yes! And told me all about how you two will be married in two years! I am so glad!"

Kagome smiled warmly, glad Rin was happy about it, anyway. Shippou sat there bobbing in the water, contemplating seriously and silently.

"But we cannot read tonight because we will all be having dinner together tonight!" Rin continued, causing Shippou to sigh in relief. "My Lord wants me to tell you that we are having dinner with Kouji-san this evening."

"We are? And why didn't he tell me this himself? Again?"

The low voice that spoke from the entrance made Kagome jump and hide herself lower in the water.

_"Because, miko, I was under the impression that observing women bathing was frowned upon in human society. However, if it is not-"_

His tall, unmistakable shadow crossed the curtain and Kagome was suddenly overcome with virginal shyness.

"No! No, it most definitely is frowned upon! Do not come in!"

_"I thought as much. Dinner is shortly after sundown. I will retrieve you from your rooms."_

She looked around at Rin and Shippou and then back to the curtain but his outline had disappeared.

"And what am I supposed to wear?" she called.

No answer.

"Guess I'll find out later." she shrugged. "Okay, then Rin: let's get you cleaned up, too."

"Rin can bathe herself, Kagome-sama."

"No, let Kagome do it! She scrubs fur really well."

"Not that you'll let me tonight, runt."

"Rin doesn't have fur, Shippou-chan." Rin chided, then paused and continued nervously. "But Kagome-sama can help me, if she wants to?"

"Of course. Scoot over here and let's get you clean, too. Scrub out your ears, Ship. Don't make me tell you again."

Rin beamed from her seat, listening to the priestess scolding the kit. She felt the first few firm tugs of her hair and the lather of soap tickle her scalp as Kagome got to work and began softly humming a sad tune.

_'Rin has a mother again.'_ the young teen thought happily.

…

An hour later, everyone was clean and wrapped up in fresh, white yukata.

"I must go get dressed in my rooms now. Thank you for letting me bathe with you, Kagome-sama. Shippou-kun."

"Anytime, Rin-chan. We'll definitely see you before we leave. I'll make sure of it."

As they exited the bathhouse, Kagome watched Rin walk away and toward the family rooms and she let her eyes adjust to the pale moonlight shining through the thin clouds. The storm was finally passing, and would be nothing but gray clouds and humid breezes by tomorrow morning.

A dark shadow appeared in the hallway from the same direction Rin had gone and Kagome snatched Shippou up from the floor and widened her stance. Another step forward and she held her breath, waiting. Suddenly the moon was freed from cover and Kagome was startled to find the Eastern heir blinking in the hallway, looking lost and confused. His pale, white hair and glowing, red eyes stood out even more now as he was framed by moonlight in the corridor of the guest hall.

"Kouhei-sama?" she tried quietly. "Are you lost?"

"That's none of your concern, human." he scowled.

He certainly looked lost, squinting and turning in a slow circle just outside the bathrooms.

"Okay, then. Have a pleasant evening." Kagome waved and turned around to leave, calling his bluff.

"Wait!" he called out, sounding more desperate than he meant to. The young dragon cleared his throat and continued. "I am lost. My uncle walked this way a few minutes ago to see my cousin but I lost track of him."

"Your cousin?"

"My cousin was brought here as a potential Mate to Sesshoumaru-sama and is staying in the guest wing. Just point me in the right direction, miko."

That haughty voice of his sounded forced so the priestess thought she'd try this conversation another way.

"Kagome." she corrected.

"What?" he snapped.

"My name is Kagome." She held out an amiable hand.

"I care not what your name is. Show me the way to the guest wing, human."

"Fine. Follow me." she huffed. "One day, I'll get someone in this place to just use my name."

"Momma?" Shippou whispered in her ear. "I don't think he can see in the dark and I don't think he can hear me either."

"What makes you say that?" she whispered back.

"Did you say something, human?" Kouhei asked sharply from behind them.

"**That.** He doesn't have my hearing. Youkai hearing." Shippou whispered again, tapping his pointed ear.

"How odd." she whispered again. "Hold on. I'm going to try to sense what's different about him. His uncle said something about a 'condition' at the Council meeting. I had forgotten."

"Be careful." He nuzzled her cheek.

Kagome nodded and called up her power, spreading it thinly around them like a veil. Kouhei didn't react to the feeling of her reiki at all. Shippou shivered.

_'That's weird. He **is** a youkai, right?'_

Concentrating it further, she directed the flow of energy behind her, trying to sense him directly. She could, but only barely. A small, intensely bright, blue pinpoint of youki shone back when she prodded even further and still, Kouhei didn't react. Further, focused exploration with her eyes closed lead to the discovery of another youki surrounding the small nucleus completely, crackling in warning as she examined him.

_'It's sealed! That's why he's so weak and pale. He's living like a human in a demon's body!' _she thought, ignoring the irony she considered her own species weak in her assessment.

His youki was bound tightly, folded in on itself so densely that Kagome hadn't detected it at all in the beginning. He could have been stifled this way his entire life. Bound and gagged so completely, his youki might never have been freed. Kouhei of the East had been living as a shade of what he could be. Kagome made a decision and gritted her teeth.

"This is probably going to come back to bite me." she sighed aloud.

"What is?" Shippou asked.

"His youki is sealed, Ship." she whispered to him.

"What are you blabbering about, miko? Are we there yet?" Kouhei peered around her.

Kagome stopped halfway between the guest rooms and the baths they had come from.

"Shippou, I need you to go to our rooms and stay there, no matter what happens. No matter what you sense out here."

"You're not gonna-" His bright green eyes looked afraid.

"Yeah," she sighed sadly. "I am. It's for the best and no one would ever **let** me... but he might."

"Sesshoumaru's gonna be pissed."

"Language. And yes, he is, but you don't need to be here in the crossfire."

"Be careful, Momma. That uncle of his is gonna be mad, too, and he's right down there." Shippou pointed in the direction of their rooms.

"I know but I can handle him, I think. Go back to the rooms and do not move. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Shippou nodded and scampered away down the hall, giving her one last look as he rounded the corner.

"Where is the kitsune going?" Kouhei asked, confused. "And why have you stopped walking?"

"Kouhei-sama, I'm really sorry about this but if I'm right, you'll thank me for it one day. Or you won't." she laughed hollowly.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, suddenly wary and leaning away from her.

"Do you know your youki is sealed away? Do you know why?"

"What are you talking about? I was born this way and the details of my condition are none of-"

"Was it done without your knowledge?"

"It is not- Was not- Sealed?" he whispered, considering. "My father said once that mother's power was too… No! He would never have done such a thing!"

"I certainly hope not. Would you like to see what your life could be like if you were whole?"

Kagome was pushing and she knew it. At any moment, the angry Ryouzou could end her for even attempting to use reiki on the heir to the East, but her conscience and desire to help were clouding her vision of the potential consequences. Especially after Kouhei continued to look into her eyes with innocent hope that was growing fiercer by the second.

"What? I can be whole? Normal? Can you do that?" His crimson eyes reflected with an animalistic iridescence in the dark and from the shape staring back at her, she knew he was hopeful.

"Normal for you. And yes, I think so." She smiled and he relaxed just slightly. "Could you trust me to try?"

"I do not know you, human. I met you only yesterday." He considered. "But you seem… different than the humans I have known. You seem ignorantly trusting of us."

"Strange, ne?" Kagome smiled. "But I am a friend. I know miko have a place in the general order of things but I feel it's my duty to help everyone. We all need some healing sometimes, regardless of our birthright." She met his eyes and continued. "I think I can break the seal on your power. It might be painful at first, reuniting with your youki. I do know that your youki exists but I can barely sense it. That it's there, within you, but doesn't fill your being. It feels strong on its own but it's stuck, caged, hidden away from you."

"What happens if you are wrong? Will I die?"

"I will not hurt you intentionally, but if I fail, I would guess you remain as you are. If I'm wrong, prodding your youki into action will only temporarily stir it and then you'll go back to the way you were. The way you are now. If I'm right, you may be changed completely."

Kouhei considered for a moment, looked at her honestly, and dropped the façade of the high-born heir he was trying so hard to be.

"All my life, I have been weak. My father lamented it and my mother was not alive to see it. I have even sometimes I wished I was dead. I cannot rule, cannot train, cannot go outside the sight of my keepers. A useless heir." He looked at his thin, pale hands. "I am not what a dragon should be and they do not let me forget it."

"I'm not what a miko should be either. I'm different and I have a different way of doing things. You can do the same."

He considered her, this strange woman, then continued. "They are all waiting for me, all but my uncle, to make a mistake so my younger brother can take my place. I am living as a prisoner. What harm could it do, one miko's interference?"

"That's terrible, Kouhei-sama. I want to help, if you want me to. It doesn't have to be right now. If you would like to think about it, I'll be in Edo for the next-"

"Two years? I remember. I am sorry. There is nothing I can do if you were going to ask it of me, regardless of your help."

"I know. I'm not offering for a favor in return. But I would help you if you ever wanted me to. Just know that."

"Miko- No. Kagome. Please try. Right now. I have been without hope for so long. If I could live, even for only a few hours, as something other than this, I would very much like to."

His sincerity was almost desperation as he stepped one step closed to her and hope shined in his eyes. Kagome felt the weight of what she had promised and begged whatever kami were listening to guide her in helping him.

"Okay. We're going to have to do this here because I honestly don't know my way around, it's dark and I can't see. Is that okay?"

"My uncle is nearby and he may misunderstand." Kouhei warned her honestly. "But I will explain if the need arises."

"Okay. I'll deal with that later. First, I'm going to put up a barrier so we don't accidentally hurt anyone else and we can't be interrupted without effort."

She reached one hand up, wide open, and an ice blue ring crept outward from her hand, growing wider to encompass them both, and sinking down until it reached the floor.

"May I?" he asked, reaching for the barrier.

"Yes. This is only a barrier, not intended to harm."

Kouhei reached a tentative hand out and let one short-clawed finger brush against its surface. The reiki reacted, sparking against his touch but did not burn.

"I did not know holy energy was capable of such."

"Next," she continued mechanically, "I need to lay my hands on you. I realize this is uncomfortable but to do this as efficiently as possible, I need to feel your energy directly. Is that okay?"

"Under normal circumstances, no. But for this, I will allow it." he nodded, still unsure. His hands circled her wrists as she reached up and he met her eyes. "If I feel at risk, if you betray me, I can still end your life, youki or no. I am capable of that much."

"I understand." she said simply and she did. She understood what he didn't say, too. _'Understand your need to protect yourself. Understand your need to threaten me. Understand your fear.'_

Kagome stepped forward and laid her hands on the pale blue silk of the kimono over his chest.

"Ready?" she asked, looking up into his nearly-glowing, bright vermilion eyes.

"I am ready." he whispered.

Her power flared within the barrier and demure, human hands lit with reiki over his chest and she closed her eyes. He gasped at the feeling of her energy invading his body but there was no pain, only a sensation akin to the pins and needles of life returning to a waking limb. It filled him, pouring through his chest, electrifying his arms, trailing down his legs, crawling up his neck, and he gasped and gritted his teeth when she found the core of his power, locked away near his heart. There were tight bands of glaring red surrounding his encased youki and her reiki was rebuffed as it neared.

"Is that it?" he growled, feeling something pull sharply in his chest.

"Yes, I've found it. It's bound right there. I'm going to try to break it free. Take a deep breath."

"Wait!" he gasped.

"Take as long as you need." she said slowly. "I truly am not sure what this will do to you. It's your energy but it may overwhelm you at first. Are you ready?"

Sweat was beading on his brow, fear was growing in his heart, but he met her eyes and found only sincerity and concern. He felt himself nod and then at the same time felt far away, mentally preparing himself for pain or death or both.

"As I ever will be…" he ground out.

Kagome didn't wait and pierced the searing red seals with her power, unsealing the condensed energy within. The resulting explosion of youki shattered the barrier, throwing her backward toward the guest rooms. She protected her face with her forearms and tucked in her knees, waiting for the rough collision with the floor or wall she was sure was coming. Instead she felt her back collide with something firm but pliant, and strong arms wrapped around her stomach, caging her against something warm and… growling?

Through the crackling explosion of power, Kagome could hear Kouhei screaming loudly, still hidden in the bright cerulean glow of his released youki.

"Meddlesome fool! What have you done?!" Sesshoumaru yelled behind her.

"Sesshoumaru?" Her blue eyes tried to focus in the blinding light but could not.

"What have you done? Did you attack him?" he barked.

"No, I'm trying to help him! …I just hope it works."

The energy roaring through the hallways was quieting, pulsing now and then like the rhythm of a strong heartbeat. Kouhei was silent and she could just now make out his outline standing hunched over in the hallway.

"Helped him?" His golden eyes searched the hallway for any evidence of what she claimed but he could not see past the agitated, dark blue aura still pulsing wildly around the dragon heir. Sesshoumaru scowled down at her. "If he is injured or worse, I cannot protect you from what happens next."

"He'll be fine." She smiled, sensing his youki settling into his being like a missing puzzle piece. "Exhausted, probably, but fine."

"What has happened to Kouhei?!" came the bellow from the hall, rocketing past the couple on the floor and over to his nephew. "Answer me, dog!"

"He's fine! Wait and see!" Kagome called after him.

"You speak nonsense! You have killed him, priestess, and the East will have vengeance!" Ryouzou bellowed.

"Uncle, stop!" Kouhei panted, his arm outstretched, shaking, to grasp his uncle's shoulder. The energy illuminating the hallway disappeared, leaving a still and quiet darkness. Ryouzou was immediately assessing him for injury.

"What happened, Kouhei? What is going on?" the steward demanded. "You are changed! If she has cursed you-"

"Kouhei-sama, are you okay?" Kagome yelled.

"Yes… yes, Kagome. I am… whole." He laughed freely. "Uncle, I can see you! I can hear the wind across the mountain! I can smell, _**gods**_, everything! I am free!"

"Oh, thank the kami." the miko sighed and slumped against Sesshoumaru, unconcerned she was laying her head heavily on his chest.

The inu tipped his head down and breathed into her ear.

"We are going to discuss this at length in a moment."

"I eh- expected nothing less." she stuttered, suddenly aware of their proximity now that the excitement was over.

Sesshoumaru stood and offered her his hand. She took it easily and brushed herself off before another presence collided roughly with her whole body and knocked the miko back to the floor.

"**Ah!**"

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Kouhei beamed down at her, caging her on the floor between thin arms that were now the color of normal flesh and not the pale and sickly ashen tone of a few minutes ago. "I did not mean to go so fast! I can go so fast! I can even see you… crying? Why are you crying, Kagome? This is all thanks to you. Are you not happy?"

"Kouhei, climb off of the human at once!" Ryouzou barked.

"Indeed." Sesshoumaru rumbled above the pair of both dragon and miko piled indecently on the floor.

"I'm so happy for you, Kouhei!" she beamed back at him as he scooted back and away from her, sitting like a child, cross-legged on the floor and glowing with happiness and relief. She could not see him well in the faint moonlight but recognized that his skin and hair had both darkened to some extent.

"I will never be able to express my gratitude but I will try to find a way, if you'll allow it, my Lord Sesshoumaru." He offered, rising from the floor to look him in the eye. "I am sorry to have toppled her but she is to be congratulated for saving the heir to the East from a miserable existence. Please do not be angry with her for it was I who asked for this."

"Without any provocation from the priestess?" Sesshoumaru questioned, using all of his senses to take in the multitude of changes in the formerly puny Eastern heir.

"Well, not entirely 'without provocation' but he did ask me." she quietly answered.

For the second time in two minutes, Sesshoumaru offered her a hand up and she gratefully accepted.

"Kouhei, you have much explaining to do but, in this moment," Ryouzou smiled gently and reached a hand out to touch his nephew's face, "you look so much like Aoi that I cannot be angry."

"My mother? Why?"

"Unknown to us all, you inherited her coloring almost exactly. I am glad to see she lives in you."

"Uncle…"

"Go, Ryouzou. Celebrate your nephew's return to health. I hope to see you tomorrow before you depart for the East." Sesshoumaru called from the end of the hall.

The dragon steward made his way over to the pair but surprised them all when the proud dragon steward bent into a low bow and took Kagome's hand in his own, quickly pressing his lips to it before he rose.

"I thank you, miko-sama, for saving Kouhei from his affliction. We were not aware such a cure existed. If ever you have need of help from the East, call upon us and we will answer you. You and your future Mate have our gratitude, Sesshoumaru. It would seem a human may be fit to walk beside you."

Kagome waited silently until they left before glancing nervously up at him.

"See? That went as well as it possibly could have. No harm done. Everyone is happy."

"You are fortunate that it was so."

"And how did you know I was here?"

"It would seem that despite your own lack of concern for your well-being, your kit sees the benefit of caution and disobeyed you to warn me of your foolish and ill-conceived plan."

"Shippou came to get you?"

He started down the hall and she stepped quickly to catch up before he answered her.

"Is that not what I said?"

"In a circular way, yes, but I told him to go wait in our rooms. Shippou!" she yelled, knowing he'd hear her wherever he was. Sesshoumaru grimaced at her deafening outburst and continued.

"He is waiting in Rin's rooms for us to return."

"You mean he's hiding. Hiding from me. Little sneak."

"You mispronounced 'kitsune.'"

"Are you… making a joke?"

"Correcting your error."

"I hate to tell you but that was dangerously close to a joke, Sesshoumaru."

"Come. We are late once again because of you and your need to meddle."

"Help. I have a need to help people. There's a difference."

"To you perhaps. Now explain exactly what you have done for Kouhei to This Sesshoumaru."

Kagome laughed heartily and told him everything as they went to claim the children and meet the Palace messenger for dinner.

…

In Rin's room, Kagome's hair was combed into silky, obedient waves and left long. She was given a pale blue juban and golden silk kimono patterned with pink chrysanthemums to wear to dinner. Since this one was two layers shy of the last formal outfit, she let Tomomi show her how it was done in slow motion, keen to learn if this was going to be the way of things.

"I hate being dressed like a doll. Wait, back up, how did you wrap that again?"

"Once more, Kagome-sama, and then you must join milord. He is most agitated." Tomomi warned.

"His highness can wait another minute so I can take this thing off by myself later."

"My Lady! We have guests and it will not do to insult my Lord so loudly."

"Sorry. It's not an insult really… but you have to admit he has a high opinion of himself."

"It is justified- So to finish this you must- Are you paying attention, milady?"

But she wasn't. She was staring. And grinning ridiculously.

"Oh, Rin! You look so lovely."

And she did. Her hair was glossy and straight, laying perfectly flat over the shoulders of the pale pink kimono she wore. Hydrangeas in white and blue graced the left shoulder and trailed down to the hem. She stood confidently in her rooms, fan in hand, ready to accompany them to dinner. A Lady in the making. Rin was growing up.

"Thank you, Kagome-sama. This one is my favorite. They remind me of the spring flowers back home in Edo." She smiled down happily at the flowers.

"Ta da!" Shippou jumped over the screen and landed in between the two women with his arms spread wide.

He was dressed for dinner as well in a blue kosode, checkered with white near the hem, and impossibly small, black hakama.

"You look so grown up, too! Where did you find those dashing clothes? I have trouble making anything that fits you so well. Who do we thank for those?"

"Tomomi made 'em! Aren't they great? There's a bunch more, too. I can wear most of it to school!"

"And you are to take them home with you, Kagome-sama. My Lord bid me make many things for you and your son both last night. Your pieces are not all completed but will be before you leave tomorrow."

"Did he?" Kagome asked, amazed. "I'm surprised. That was very considerate of him. I'll thank him then. I suppose I don't have much to wear that suits whatever I'll be doing here. Don't hurry too much on my account. Whatever he's requested for me will probably stay here since I don't have much use for anything fancy when I'm stitching farmers, planting rice, and delivering babies." Kagome laughed.

"You have no one to do those things for you, my Lady?" the deer youkai asked, shocked.

"I had help with the heavy lifting but now that Inuyasha is gone, I'll be managing alone. It's fine. I need the exercise." She changed the subject at Tomomi's sad look. "Are we all ready then?"

"At last?" Sesshoumaru asked from the doorway.

"Oh, don't say it that way. What happened with Kouhei was a good reason to be late. And thank you for this." She held up the generous and beautiful sleeves of the kimono. "For all of it. That was very kind."

He scowled slightly and looked uncomfortable at the unnecessary praise but continued.

"Such is expected from an intended Mate. You arrived unprepared and I have corrected the oversight. You are welcome, however. Aiding the East is always wise, miko, for future reference. They are allies and our closest reinforcements." His eyes shifted to his ward and softened just slightly. "Rin, come."

"Hai!" the young woman beamed, following behind her Lord down the hallway to the stairs.

Shippou scampered past them all and waited at the top of the stairs, tapping his foot impatiently and looking ready to run. Sesshoumaru met him first with a warning look and the kit grinned nervously. Rin stopped and turned around to wait for Kagome who had been watching the exchange as they left Rin's room. She was frozen several steps back with the first of a few gathered tears trickling down her face. Sesshoumaru held up a hand for the children to stay put and walked over to her.

"More tears, miko?"

"I had forgotten…" she sniffled, wiping her eyes with the handkerchief hidden in her obi. She silently thanked Tomomi for insisting she bring it.

"Forgotten what?"

_'What it felt like to be part of a family. To be waited for. The chaos of organizing everyone to get somewhere. Looking forward to something.'_ she thought, lamenting the missing person in their number.

Inuyasha would have grumbled and fought all the way through getting dressed. He and Shippou would have argued about something trivial and she would have to referee. In the end, they would get wherever they were going and be a happy family when they got there. Like this. Like right now. But he would never get to join them and the grief rolled down her face as she struggled to tell him how much this had been the life Inuyasha always wanted.

But it came out as…

"Nothing. Sorry. Let's go."

"Come."

Kagome was as surprised as the children when he moved to stand beside her and held out his arm. She stood still wondering what to do when he continued.

"Are you unfamiliar with the gesture or unwilling?"

"I'm… processing. This is new." She blinked still-watery cerulean eyes up at him.

"Agreed," he nodded but paused, considering before he continued, "but change is not always unwelcome."

"Thank you for that." She gave him a gentle smile.

"Hm."

He turned his silver head to look back down the hallway and waited. Her nervousness was palpable and the scent of yuzu surrounding her was no surprise. In a few seconds, he felt the warmth of her arm slip through his, slowly resting her small hand on his indigo silk clad forearm. He took the first step forward. She caught up and began matching his steps, staring at her own hand laying innocently on his arm and wondering what kami in the heavens was having a laugh at this turn of events.

"Shippou-chan, look!" Rin whispered, pointing at the couple coming down the hall with their arms interlocked. "Do they not look nice together?"

She was happy to see them making progress. Shippou didn't answer her but scowled and jumped down the stairs, not sure how to feel about things.

…

As they walked farther and farther away from the family rooms and then past the guest quarters as well, Kagome wondered aloud why the Palace messenger lived on the opposite side of the mountain than the actual Palace. Sesshoumaru only told her to hold her questions and they would be there soon. Shippou and Rin walked in silence behind them despite Rin's many attempts to start a conversation with the pensive fox.

Sesshoumaru seemed at ease as they crossed the training grounds. Kagome felt his youki as fluid and relaxed. With her senses restored, she was able to keep her own aura open and free as well. It was a welcome feeling to be connected to the world once again. Until she sensed Shippou behind them and grew concerned. Her kit was agitated and thoughtful… and silent. Something he definitely was not.

The texture of the ground changed and her grip on Sesshoumaru's arm tightened involuntarily for a moment when the hard sole of her sandals skidded dangerously to the side before she could correct it. They were skirting the fields of gravel where she and Shippou had trained that afternoon. Looking up, the miko noted that the clouds were still spotty but the sky was clearing even here, so high up on the mountain.

_'We'll be leaving tomorrow, then.'_ she considered, glad to have a plan to return to the familiar.

They took a hard left turn under an overhang. Though it lacked the tiled roofing and careful craftmanship of the comfortable Palace in favor of stark lines and bold cuts, the Fortress was magnificent in its own right. Much more open, wider and flatter stairs and halls to allow for the movement of a greater number of people from place to place. The left turn they took lead them all to a staircase carved from the darker gray of the mountain bedrock.

"He lives up here?" she asked, taking the first steps with him. "Oh, it's dark. Shippou, grab Rin's hand so she doesn't fall."

Kagome heard a non-committal grunt behind her and Rin whisper 'Thanks.' but the miko wondered why Shippou was so oddly silent.

"Hm. The General resides here at the Fortress on the top floor, as is expected, and the other officers share the first and second floors as needed."

"Kouji-san is an officer?"

"He is. A Colonel himself over a small division of troops with specialized skills. You will be taught some of the details when you return."

She nodded, letting his careful use of 'some' slide for now, as they continued to climb.

"So Ren-taii lives here, too?"

"He does. His brother lives in the adjoining room, before you ask." he added, noting her questioning look. "Theirs is a special situation so allowances were made."

_'And you wouldn't listen when I told you how special, either.'_ she thought wryly as they continued to climb.

"Wait, didn't we just pass the second floor?"

"We did but the General and his Mate live on the top floor."

"I thought we were having dinner with Kouji-san?"

"We are."

"I'm confused. And I really can't see once again. I'm going to bring a lantern back with me, something to walk these halls with, or I'm gonna kill myself someday."

"Perhaps our Mating will not last even as long as I assumed then." His voice gave nothing away but before she could pick her jaw up from the floor at his callous attempt at humor, he spoke again. "We are here."

"You- Did you just- We need to work on your sense of humor."

Sesshoumaru ignored her and knocked on the pale shoji doors to the left that were framed in walls of dark rock. A second later, General Ryota opened the door with a familiar smile, looking relaxed and at ease in only a navy yukata.

"Good evening and welcome, my Lord!" He bowed. "And Lady Kagome. Hello, children! A pleasure to see you all once again. Come in, come in."

Ryota stepped out of the way and allowed them all to file in. Kagome stood aside and waited for the children to make their way in before walking around to the table to sit next to Shippou. Sesshoumaru was already sitting near the head of the table with a cushion open to his right. His eyes were on her though he did not speak, waiting to see what she would do.

"Kagome-sama, you do not want to sit next to milord?" Rin asked innocently from the other side of the table.

"What? Oh, no. I- Am I supposed to?" Kagome looked down at Sesshoumaru to gauge his reaction.

"It is not necessary tonight. When you return, however, it will be expected." he said evenly.

"Oh."

Sitting next to him at dinner hadn't crossed her mind but then, until this moment, the true reality of the arrangement hadn't either. 'What was expected' seemed like a far away and future idea but right now, she realized for the first time that it wasn't. Anxiety and grief clawed their way through the happy daydream she had created for the evening and her panic grew.

Dinners? Meetings? Holidays? Did youkai have holidays? Her brain accelerated through the years. Watching him raise his heirs next to her while she and Rin grew older? She might not be truly married to him but Kagome knew that would be painful.

_'Multiple partners are common for youkai. No one would begrudge you a consort.'_

Would he take multiple wives? Mates? Would she be required to accept them, too?

"-ko?" She heard a fractured call from someone far away.

This home they had walked into was the result of an effortless combination of two lives. The thoughts of sharing rooms with him had seemed innocent enough yesterday. Living together would be a challenge, she assumed, but she had felt safe. Surely, he wouldn't press her for a physical relationship beyond what was required for the ceremony. His honor would prevent it. Her thoughts began to spiral out of her control, fueled by a sudden sense of disorientation.

Her face was flush with the realization that this was going to be a lifetime of questions and wondering. And that she would have very little say in his life while hers was controlled at every turn. The shock and indignation of it overwhelmed her mind and suddenly the room wavered dizzyingly.

"Miko?" the voice was closer now.

The loving and equal partnership she had shared with Inuyasha was a thing of the past. Sesshoumaru would not be a husband. He was a Lord. And he would lord over her just as he did everyone else. The feeling of helplessness grew and her eyes clouded with tears, breath coming in deep pants.

_'What have I done?'_

Her distress was suffusing the room and the youkai around her all wondered what had happened to cause such an intense reaction. Kagome had only stepped inside three or four feet and then locked up, losing the internal battle to breathe. Only Rin stood and went to her, gently grasping her free hand and peering up at her.

"Kagome-sama? Are you all right?"

Deep, mahogany eyes stared up into hers, concern etched into the delicate features of a round-faced child that was thinning into that of a young woman. A young woman who, by no fault of her own, was threatened with immediate and senseless death. Kagome swallowed and reached out a trembling hand to cup Rin's soft cheek. How could she have forgotten?

"…Yes. Yes, I'll be okay." She noted Sesshoumaru standing just behind Rin so she explained. "I'm just-" Kagome cleared the thickness from her throat before continuing.

"Processing?" he supplied.

The priestess nodded silently and tried to calm and straighten herself. There was time to discuss the details but Kagome took in the worried faces of four others in the room and realized that unprocessed grief rears its head at the most inappropriate times.

"Sorry, everyone." She took a deep breath and bowed, desperate to change the situation. "And where is Kouji-san? I thought we were having dinner with him tonight?"

"Ah, you've not told her then, my Lord?" Ryota looked concerned.

"I thought it best you explained since the situation may be unfamiliar to her." His nostrils flared for a second before looking over at the closed doors leading to the other room. "And you have some explaining to do to This One as well."

"Situation?" Kagome blinked, wiping her eyes.

"Ah, that, milord. Kouji? Is he finished? Can you come out here?" Ryota called.

"Just now." Kouji called from the other room.

"Bring him. Sesshoumaru-sama should meet the next great General of his armies." Ryota beamed.

"We have discussed this at length, Mate, and agreed that he should choose his own path." Kouji sighed, stepping out from the other room with a rag in one hand.

And a baby over his shoulder.

A large, tawny hand supported the small babe from beneath and another was tenderly wrapped around the infant's back. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened just slightly and Ryota laughed, understanding that such a reaction might have been a yell of surprise from anyone else. Kagome was less reserved and practically jogged over to Kouji, who was smiling widely.

"Hello again, little dove. Glad to see you were able to come." the emerald-haired pheasant said amiably.

"Oh, my! Me, too! Who is this?" she beamed. "May I?" When Kouji nodded, she cooed her greetings and gently stroked the small infant's back.

"How?" Sesshoumaru asked Ryota, perplexed.

"Well, the Lord and Lady of the South made a visit to several of the larger settlements on their way here, just as you do, and found a small village that had been recently attacked by a band of monks. They consider it their duty to end the innocent lives of any youkai unfortunate enough to cross them, or so the soldiers reported. Among the dead were a Mated pair of cranes. The other two chicks had been killed but this one was left alone in another room and was spared."

He gestured to the dark-haired baby Kouji was turning around for Kagome's benefit. "When the Lord and Lady arrived, they brought the orphan with the intent to begin the morning's discussion on the growing human threat, if you will pardon me, Ladies. However, when Kouji greeted them and welcomed them to the Palace, the little one imprinted on him immediately and refused to be left alone. I don't know how much my Lord knows of bird youkai but once the bond is formed, it cannot be undone."

Ryota smiled and walked over the Kouji and the baby, wrapping an arm around them both. Kagome stepped back and Kouji continued.

"We had assumed we would have no heirs to pass our knowledge down to but it seems, once again, that fate chose a different path for us all."

Kagome watched the exchange and it suddenly dawned on her.

"You're together?"

"Yes, my Lady. Ryota and I are a Mated pair." the pheasant stated, waiting. The other humans they had encountered had been confused or disgusted, not that they mattered, and he found himself morbidly curious about how she would receive them.

"You're gay!" she exclaimed, putting the pieces together.

Kouji looked at Ryota, confused for a moment and then continued cautiously.

"I suppose we are both generally jovial males but it has never been levelled at us as an accusation before." he said, curious at her meaning.

Kagome laughed and shook her head.

"No, no, I mean you're lovers! You're married? When- **Where** I come from, that's one way we refer to men who love other men. Or males, I guess, sorry."

"Ah, that's odd but makes more sense, I suppose." Kouji hefted the baby higher. "But you are not upset? The humans we have known have been less than kind."

"I can understand that but where I come from, it's not so uncommon. I wouldn't say 'accepted' completely, there will always be people who are unkind, but it's not so unusual."

"And you are not one of those unkind people?" Ryota questioned.

"Kami, no. Love is wonderful in all of its forms. And I'm happy for you both. He's lovely. Does he have a name yet?"

"Haruto. It suits him, we think." Ryota answered, a gentle smile growing on his face as he looked at the baby.

When Kagome only fidgeted in place but continued to stare at the baby's wriggly back, Kouji offered to end her agony.

"Would you like to hold him?"

"I thought you'd never ask!" she laughed and walked over.

Sesshoumaru watched as she situated Haruto on her left shoulder, speaking gently to the baby the whole time.

"Congratulations are in order then. We should conduct a naming ceremony in the coming week." the inu rumbled.

"It has been a dreadfully long time since one occurred here at the Palace." Ryota lamented.

"Or much of anywhere really. My sister's clutch will be the first in nearly sixty years in the South." Kouji added, absently wiping his shoulder with the rag.

Kagome was oblivious to their conversation but cut back in with a healer's concern.

"He feels small. I don't know much about youkai babies but he seems thin even for a newborn. Is he at all similar to a human baby in terms of early development?"

"I do not know." Kouji said, frowning. "Why?"

"Have you hired a wet nurse yet?"

"A what, my Lady?" Ryota asked.

"A wet nurse? To feed him? He's so small, he must still be nursing."

"We are feeding him a concoction my mother suggested but we accept that he may not survive without his own mother. It would be tragic but that is the way of things." Kouji sighed.

"That's terrible! He should be just fine with a nurse and your care. Why would you expect him to die even with a mother's milk?" Her eyes flicked from parent to parent, trying to understand.

"Miko, you do not understand." Sesshoumaru explained. "An orphan is rarely, if ever, taken in by another youkai. And even more rarely by a mother with pups young enough to still suckle. It is accepted that orphans frequently die of withering without their mother's care. It cannot be helped."

Kagome forgot herself in her outrage.

"The hell it can't! You just told me you were upset that more of you were not having babies, so why would you not try anything and everything to save every life you can?"

"Some norms are not to be tested, woman." Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes in warning. "The strong survive and the weak perish. We might end up as fragile and frail as hu- as mortals if we allowed every orphan the same resources as those with stronger and more capable parents."

"If you want to survive," she narrowed her own right back, "you need to stop thinking like that. This baby is worth saving. He survived when his parents and siblings didn't. He has a chance at a safe and loving family and you're telling me that you'd let him die because you won't take my advice and try something different?"

Kouji stepped in-between the incensed priestess and the inudaiyoukai and held his arms out for Haruto.

"I will take your advice, little dove. I would not see him die. Tell us what we must do."

"Kouji!" Ryota warned.

"No, Mate. She is right." The pheasant settled the boy in his arms and watched him open and close glossy coal-black eyes with affection. "He has a chance to live and if my Lady can keep him with us, I admit there is already little I would not do."

They all looked at Sesshoumaru, who was scowling but silent. Another moment ticked by and his eyes drifted to the babe in the messenger's arms, to the angry and determined cerulean gaze of his future Mate, and to the General waiting for his word. It was pressure he did not need. It was a judgement he loathed to pass. Tradition dictated as he had said, but there was logic in her pleas to save even the unfit. Perhaps, as he himself had admitted only minutes before, change was not always unwelcome.

"Do as you will."

Kagome was unaware, celebrating her joy at giving little Haruto a fighting chance, but this moment planted the first seed of change in Sesshoumaru. Her fragile but persistent influence rooted deep within him and waited.

…

"And I finally just had to be honest with him: that I knew he was like you. No hot-blooded young man interested in girls waits **years** to be with the one entirely average girl that's always absent or too busy to see him. He picked me as a safe screen to hide behind until he was ready to face the truth. Hojo came out later that year as gay and is much happier with himself now. If he had come at me with one more herbal remedy or gimmicky item, I might have slugged him instead."

Kouji considered her story for a moment, with a smile, and then commented.

"Interesting. You use phrases I am unfamiliar with, once again, but I understand your meaning. How odd the poor boy chose you over the truth. And you pretended to be ill so often to escape and complete your given task?"

"Yeah. It was hard for a few years but I had a quest to complete."

It was Ryota who nodded this time.

"We know that story, at least. And all without formal training. How **did** you survive?"

"Luck."

"And much help." Sesshoumaru cut in.

She laughed. "Yes, that too, thank you."

The inudaiyoukai nodded and dinner went on with laughs and stories, spills and apologies, crying and soothing, until at last the meal was over. Shippou began to yawn when they put Haruto to bed, and Sesshoumaru bid the couple goodnight and rose to leave.

"Thank you again, Kagome-sama. We have real hope now that Haruto might live." Kouji bowed at the door.

"No, I'm just happy you're willing to try. Let me know if you need anything else before I leave tomorrow. I'm happy to help."

"Happy enough to…" Shippou grumbled something else under his breath but she couldn't catch it as he shuffled past them all and started down the hallway without making eye contact.

Kagome watched his small back retreat down the hall and felt her heart grow heavy. She leaned around to catch Rin's eyes and when the young woman only shrugged, the miko's concern grew. Shippou had been silent through dinner. No jokes or pranks, no wisecracks or comedic, youthful slip-ups. Something was wrong.

"Rin, be good on the way home and we'll see you tomorrow before we leave. Sesshoumaru, Shippou and I are going back to the guest wing now. Good night, Ryota-taishou, Kouji-san. Thank you for a wonderful time."

He nodded his dismissal, silently sensed her distress, and she turned around and left them all as quickly as her kimono would allow.

"Shippou?" she called down the staircase. "Shippou, are you there?"

The first stumble of her sandals in the dark elicited a swear.

"I'm bringing lanterns back here. Like, a hundred of them." she grumbled, slipping the damnable things off and hooking them both around a finger.

In the meantime, reiki would work nicely enough for the short distance back to the guest wing. The miko carried a glowing sphere down the stairs and across the Fortress training grounds. Kagome called for Shippou the whole way back but never met him. When she slid open their doors and he wasn't anywhere in the comfortably lit rooms they shared, her concern grew. His gifted clothes were neatly piled on the low table and undisturbed. He hadn't come back here to change. Could he be in the bathing rooms?

Steps quickening, she began to feel the first ripples of panic begin to erode her calm. He was small and alone and there were too many youkai here who could make off with him in a moment. She willed herself to be rational and continued on, checking the baths and the hallway leading up to the family rooms of the Palace. No Shippou.

Panic clawed its way into her heart now no matter how much she tried to will it away. He was all she had left. Where on earth could he be? She tried backtracking to the Fortress again. Kagome met a few servants and some others she didn't know on the way but none of them had seen a kitsune tonight. Memories of the attack from a few days ago surfaced and the fear that he might come to harm seemed a real possibility. Shadows of the mountain began to weave themselves into menacing shapes, promising death, as she raced back to the Fortress.

Beyond the light she cast, the bright chatter of a young girl broke the inky silence of the training grounds.

"Straight here, milord?"

"Hm."

"What is that light ahead?"

"The miko, Rin."

"Kagome-sama?"

Kagome heard the gravelly steps pick up speed and then Rin was there, catching her panicking alone in the darkness.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, something is wrong!" Rin yelled back to him.

The daiyoukai did not hurry but altered his course to meet her. He could scent her distress immediately. The panic surrounded the miko with the acidic tang of vinegar. She was truly scared. Without waiting for her to explain what was most likely an inconsequential misunderstanding, he hurried the conversation forward.

"Explain."

She watched as he ghosted into the ring of light her orb of reiki had cast. He squinted slightly, vertical and inhuman pupils contracting to almost disappear in the unexpected light, as he neared but did not stop until he was an arm's length away.

"I can't find Shippou anywhere! I've checked the guest wing, the hallways, he's not out here," she swept an arm out, "he's not in the baths. Kami, what if something's gotten to him like the assassin in the infirmary? What if someone mistook him for a thief and locked him up? What if he got seriously lost or fell? He's just… gone!"

Rin was stroking Kagome's arm lightly, waiting for the word from Sesshoumaru that everything was okay. He lifted his chin, tested the air, and then cast golden eyes to the peak of the mountain. The boy was far above, his scent drifting down with the falling scree as he tried to climb higher. Satisfied he was not in danger, Sesshoumaru relayed the situation to the frantic priestess.

"He is not gone. He is well. Return to your rooms. Rin, accompany her there. Do not leave and I will bring the kit to you. Do you understand?"

"No! Do you know where he is?! I am really worried about him."

"Miko, the kit is fine. He is on the peak high above. I will retrieve the boy and bring him to you."

"Why didn't you just say **that** then?" she said, aggravated.

Unwilling to answer and further delay the end of the night, Sesshoumaru merely leapt into the air and left the two women standing there.

"Come with me, Kagome-sama. My Lord will do as he says and bring Shippou back to you."

Kagome nodded silently but kept her gaze on the inky peak of the mountain far above until Rin pulled her arm and she was forced to look away.

_'Shippou, what are you doing?'_

…

Sesshoumaru lighted on the peak and waited. The kit was on the far side, making his way slowly up on his own.

_'This is sure to be ridiculous.'_

Several minutes later, tiny claws dug their way into the last steep handhold and Shippou pulled himself up, panting and growling. He smelled the elder inu immediately and forced himself to stand taller.

"Go away!" he barked, tiny fists balled up at his sides.

Sesshoumaru growled lowly before reprimanding him. Along with the anger that was obvious in his tone, the inu immediately recognized the scent of salt that accompanied tears.

"Careful, kitsune. Grief is no excuse for disrespect."

"Leave me alone! I came up here to get away from you!"

"Why?"

"Why?! You're everywhere! I can't even run away from you! Rin might like your company but I don't. I wanna be alone."

"Very well. I shall tell the miko you wish to be alone. I am sure her panic will marginally subside."

"Panic? I- I didn't mean to make her upset." He stilled and considered before reigniting the frustration that had led him to run away. "I didn't even think she'd notice I was gone."

"Why?"

Shippou growled. "You don't care! I'll go back later, okay?!"

"You think yourself so inconsequential to her?"

"No." he groaned. "No, I knew she'd be upset."

"And you disappeared in spite of her?"

"No. Yes. Argh! She's just so- Just- Damn it!"

"You are hiding."

Shippou exploded.

"She's acting like she always does! Laughing and eating, holding the baby and giving advice. She's already moved on and forgotten him!"

"And this makes you angry?"

"I can't **stop** being angry! This isn't how it was supposed to be! We-" Shippou hiccupped and sniffled, "We were all supposed to be together back at home, getting ready for winter. They were gonna come visit me at school one more time before it snowed. I had this great trick all ready for Inuyasha." The sniffling grew louder and faster. "He- He liked to nuh- nap on the roof while I was working but he hated getting wet, even to take a bath. He'd always check for rain before fuh- falling asleep. I asked my teacher, Chinatsu-sensei, to teach me how to create the illusion of rain just to- just to mess with him. I puh- practiced and practiced and it was finally good enough to show him and now-" A sob broke loose. "And now he'll never see it! And all **she** cares about is saving that baby and the clothes she has to wear to dinner and what her life's gonna be like when she has to come back here! This is all **your** fault!"

"It is This One's fault in part, true."

Shippou stilled and looked up at him for the first time. Their eyes met and Shippou could see the anger he had prodded out of Sesshoumaru. Beyond the anger, there was understanding. Another tear fell over his cheek but Shippou didn't move and just waited.

"If I was more able to accept Rin's death, the priestess would not have to return and become This Sesshoumaru's Mate. Would you have Rin die to prevent it?"

"No! I don't want Rin to die but-"

"And you enjoy your companionship with my ward?"

"I guess but I haven't had a choice! Kagome's been gone with you every day since we've been here." He tried feebly to bolster his anger, not ready to give up yet.

"You do not enjoy Rin's company then, in light of your sorrow?"

"Well, no, I like her and we have a good time, I guess."

"And are you betraying the memory of Inuyasha by enjoying your time with her?"

Shippou was silent for a moment, thinking.

"No." And he knew he'd lost.

"Neither is your mother. Loss is a sorrow of a thousand wounds. It will not be short lived or immediate. You will both struggle at different times." Sesshoumaru kneeled down in front of the wet-faced kitsune. "Pack means supporting her through those times, as she does for you, and allowing her respite when and where she can find it."

To his credit, Shippou stared right back into the much wiser eyes of Sesshoumaru, searching for some ulterior motive in his advice but found none. Sighing his relief at understanding his mother better, Shippou nodded and wiped his face with a sleeve.

"Is she mad?"

Sesshoumaru stood again and looked down on the guest wing, noting the lit room as the lone light in the total darkness of the mountainside.

"She is grieving the potential of your loss as well as Inuyasha's at this moment. Learn from this and do not repeat the mistake."

"Learn what?"

"Control your emotions and consider them. Do not allow them to rule you. You cause only pain if you do not."

"Momma would say you should listen to them and let them guide you."

"Indeed? And did being 'guided' to the peak of the mountain solve your problem?"

"No, but **you** came to find me. And you- you helped. Thank you."

The inu stood before a kit less than one tenth his age and felt uncomfortable. This miko and her infectious emotions. The child was seriously implying that fate had led them both here to solve his problem. Surely not.

"Hm. Return to the miko and do not repeat this selfish behavior."

Sesshoumaru left the silent kitsune, stepped over the edge of the mountain, and disappeared into the darkness below. Shippou collected his thoughts and eventually made his own way back to Kagome, head and tail drooped in apology. As he took in her bloodshot and exhausted eyes, the tear-soaked handkerchief in her hand, and Rin's angry glare; Shippou felt beyond sorry. Anger had led him to hurt the one parent he had left. Sesshoumaru had been right.

...

**Author's Note:** Sorry it's late but I hope it's worth it. This chapter was supposed to be the last before she goes home but it's (surprise, surprise) run away with me and will have to be split into two. Next time, Kagome versus Ren in the dojo!


	23. Chapter 23 - Don't Let Them See You Cry

**Author's Note:** I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 23 – Don't Let Them See You Cry**

After delivering a tongue lashing to her runaway kit and getting a restless night's sleep, Kagome startled awake and did not breathe deeply until her eyes found Shippou sleeping peacefully in the bed beside her. The sigh of relief was shaky and shallow. Cerulean eyes blinked again and swept the room in a slow circle as sleep ebbed from her brain.

The clothes they would be taking with them were packed and bundled. Her pack was sitting ready by the door with her staff and bow, the quiver slung over a hook by door. The sunlight shining through the screen of her door was bright and promising.

_'Guess we're really going home today then.'_

Relief to be leaving this unfamiliar and stressful place was first through her mind but dread settled in her heart immediately after. Facing Sango, Miroku, and Kaede would be painful. As much as Kagome needed the support they would offer, recounting the story of what had happened since leaving Edo would be a momentary distraction from the stares and eyes downturned in pity for the widow she now was. Life in the village would be different now.

But there was hope. No one from the West or North would come looking for her for a long time yet. Rin would be safe here and Sesshoumaru would be doing whatever it was he did as Lord of the West for the next two years, leaving her in peace. She would risk a short return to modern Tokyo for a few days at least. A girl needs her mother at times like this. Not that her mother would understand the implications of her daughter's new commitment much better than Kagome herself.

The fear of her future with Sesshoumaru had overflowed so suddenly last night, fueled by grief. Logically, she knew grieving was never really over. It did transform over time into recollection and remembrance, but the feeling of loss never fully disappeared. Her father had crossed her mind nearly every day in some way or another.

A soft knock on the door startled Kagome from her thoughts and she rushed over, hoping not to let the visitor wake Shippou yet. She slid the door open to find Captain Ren grinning and fully outfitted in a plain white haori and black hakama. Around his waist was an indigo obi which housed his sword. A beaten and worn breastplate was slung loosely over one shoulder and he shuffled his shoulders to adjust it as he greeted her.

"Good morning, Kagome-sama."

"Morning, Captain. What's going on? Is everything okay?"

"Yes, but I anticipate you are leaving today and wanted to remind you that I have not forgotten our agreement to train together. I was hoping you might indulge me this morning before you return home."

"Oh. I suppose so. I had forgotten. It's been a busy few days." she said, tiredly. "Do you wanna come in? We haven't had breakfast yet and you could join us, if you like."

"No, my Lady. It would be improper." He took a small step back. "An unbound male in the rooms of the future Lady of the West could spark rumor of the worst kind."

There was a tone to his voice she couldn't quite place. It wasn't angry but neither was it lighthearted. He was unhappy at having to remind her of the impropriety, perhaps?

"I suppose you're right. Where can I find you after we finish then?"

He pointed his directions out as he spoke. "The dojo is past the training grounds, straight ahead past the barracks, and to the right. I will wait for you there."

"Okay. I'll be there in a little while. Sorry to keep you waiting but Shippou isn't even awake yet and we have to make a plan."

He nodded. "It is no trouble. See you in a while, my Lady."

When Ren turned and left, Kagome stood in the doorway watching him walk away. Something was different about him today. He seemed distant and sad somehow. Wondering what might have upset him, Kagome started to turn around when she caught sight of a head of white-blond hair as Tomomi came down the hallway with a tray of breakfast, a distracted and faraway look, and a sloppy and unguarded grin.

"Good morning, Tomomi-chan! You seem happy today." Kagome greeted, the deer's happy grin contagiously spreading to her own face.

"Oh, my Lady. I am so very happy today." Her face lit with a blush of embarrassment. "I have brought tea and breakfast for your last day with us."

"Nuh uh. You're not getting off that easily. I know that grin. Did something happen with Kenshin?"

"Please, milady, quietly!" Green eyes searched up and down the hallway. "But yes! He has requested to begin courting this winter." she nearly squealed.

Kagome actually squealed and jumped up and down.

"Gah! What's goin' on?!" Shippou yelled from behind the screen.

"Oops. Sorry, honey. Good news from Tomomi!" Kagome grabbed the shy shikayoukai's hand and squeezed. "Oh, I am so happy for the two of you. He seems so very nice. I wish you both every happiness."

Tomomi smiled happily for a moment before she looked down to her feet and quieted.

"Well, Sesshoumaru-sama must approve the match since Kenshin-san holds a position of leadership at the Palace. I am unsure how milord will react to the request."

"Oh, he'll be fine. What reason could he possibly have for saying 'no'?"

"Kenshin-san is a silver inu like my Lord. We are all aware that there are expectations for the matches of the only two inudaiyoukai males left unbound."

"Okay but there's three, right? Sesshoumaru's not- Oh. Right."

Kagome felt the color drain from her face. Sesshoumaru wasn't free anymore. He was technically off the market. She cursed herself for forgetting when clearly the rest of the Palace would not. And it had only been three days.

_'Let me remind you that the entirety of the West will know of this farce of a Mating between us and that I will endure their scorn for millennia to come after you are nothing but a memory!'_

His frustration and indignation ripped through her memory. He was right. Still an ass for saying it that way, but correct in his early assessment of how they would be received. This would not be simple or easy. Katsurou had chosen his punishment well. In one fell swoop, the Lord of the North had punished the last of the unbound Cardinal Lords with embarrassment and weakness. She could understand in hindsight why Sesshoumaru was so angry. Yet, he had tried to be civil with her even then.

They had not spoken privately since the day of the meeting. Today would be her last chance for two years to set things right. Maybe not 'right,' _per se_, but at least back to zero. It didn't help her nerves over the situation to leave things as they were, at any rate.

The account that Shippou gave her of last night was full of holes, too. She could tell something had happened up there between them but he kept avoiding answering her questions about it for some reason. Kagome knew her son felt guilty for worrying her, and damn right he should, but there was more he refused to divulge. Her concern was that Sesshoumaru had been overly harsh or unforgiving, which didn't line up with her own method of parenting. And for now, Shippou was hers alone to parent. She sighed thinking that would probably always be the case.

"Anyway," Kagome waved the thoughts away for later, palmed the tray out of the hands of the servant, and hooked her arm through Tomomi's to drag her inside, "let's have some breakfast and you can tell me all about how this happened."

"Oh, my Lady, that is not-"

"Give it up, Tomomi. I bet she rivals any interrogator Sesshoumaru's got for getting information." Shippou smirked from the end of the table. Tomomi only blinked her huge grass-green eyes, confused.

…

Kagome finally released the exasperated maid and got dressed to train with Ren. She found a few new holes and scrapes in her battle raiment, and the armored plates all needed to be polished again after being roughly shoved into her bag several times over the last month. With a sigh, she tied them on and studied her appearance.

The waist beneath the outfit was thinner after her month of travel and several days of worry. The face staring back at her had lost the weight of contentment and comfortable village life. Ruffling her long bangs aside, Kagome saw rested but dull and sad blue eyes. She gathered her longer, wavy black hair into a high ponytail and purposefully didn't dwell on the appearance of her golden ribbon as she bound it all up in a ponytail.

"Are you okay?" came the question from behind her. Her sadness was easy to see but he could scent it, too.

"Yeah… Yeah, I'm okay. Be glad to get home though." the miko said flatly, shouldering her staff and herding him out the door. "You wanna go hang out with Rin while I get my butt kicked?"

They settled into a walk towards the Fortress and she closed her eyes and drank in the first sunlight to grace the sky in days. The wind was brisk and dry with the changing weather. There would be snow before long.

"And miss you whipping **him**? Not a chance. I'll see her later. She said she wants to come spend the summer in the village, too, to see the flowers," he faked a gag, "and visit everyone."

Kagome gave him a strained smile. "Oh, I didn't know that. Good. I'll miss her."

"She'll miss us, too. She wasn't kidding when she said there was no one to play with here. There really isn't. No kids. It's weird. All she's gonna have to do when we leave is study."

_'This must be how their decline starts. I'd always wondered.'_

"We'll have to make sure she has fun this summer then. How many weeks will you be back? This is your fourth year now. Does the schedule change?"

"Nah, not until year fifteen or so. I can catch up whenever I go back. I'd rather spend some time back home with you first."

"Me, too, kiddo." She ruffled his hair. "I need to jog the rest of the way there to warm up, you gonna keep up?"

"Are you?" he smirked then took off on all fours.

Her small laugh echoed underneath the cover of the mountain and through to the other side. Thank the kami Shippou was so good at lifting her spirits.

Coming through the large, arched gateway to the Fortress, Kagome blinked as the sun reflected harshly on the carved faces of the mountain around the training fields. Once her human eyes adjusted, and she lamented that the advent of sunglasses was far into the future, she saw the long black hair and felt the brusque aura of the dragon steward. Ryouzou was standing with his back to her in the middle of the nearest training field, opposite a youkai she didn't recognize. A male who was nodding with every few words spoken to him, wavy hair the color of a deep ocean that streamed across broad and pale shoulders, and he appeared nervous. The stranger brightened when his eyes flicked from Ryouzou to her and he smiled widely, excused himself and jogged over. Shippou hadn't noticed her slow down and continued to bolt out of sight.

"Shippou, come back!" she yelled, then quieted and cautiously turned to the newcomer.

"Lady Kagome! What are you doing here? Are you not leaving today?" the silver-eyed youth questioned her.

"I'm so sorry but do I know you?"

The stranger looked genuinely shocked she had not recognized him.

"I am Kouhei, my Lady…" Recognition lit her eyes and she relaxed. He returned a warm smile, realizing the reason for her confusion. "I forgot that you might not have been able to see the transformation last night. I admit I am still getting used to it myself." He looked down and brought up a hand to flex it, testing its strength for the hundredth time today.

"Kouhei? Is that really you?"

He dropped the hand and smiled brightly again. She returned a small one of her own.

"Much changed, is he not?" Ryouzou rumbled, walking over.

"Very much. How are you feeling?" she asked, appraising him with a healer's eye for exhaustion or illness.

"Very well! Better than I have in my entire life. We were about to begin a short training session so that I can better understand my true form as we fly home."

"Fly… home?"

"Indeed, miko-sama. My nephew should be able to master the technique in no time at all now. I am most pleased."

"May I?" she asked respectfully, holding a palm up to him.

Kouhei nodded and she lit her hand with reiki and reached forward. Ryouzou's face twisted into a scowl and he snatched her hand away, causing her to grimace and withdraw.

"Uncle, no! Kagome used her power to help me. She only wants to test my aura. Is that not so?"

"Yes. Ow. Guess I should've warned you first." she grimaced at Ryouzou, rubbing the wrist she was sure was bruised.

"My apologies. I should have realized." He considered her position and her unnatural ease with youkai and decided to make a suggestion. "In the future, however, do not be so bold with your power. There are many who have been wronged by miko in the past. My reaction is mild compared to what you might encounter."

Her contrition was instant.

"Oh. I guess I never considered that specifically. Everyone hating me just for being human seemed like enough." Her laugh was hollow. "This tightrope gets thinner and thinner…"

Kouhei glared over at his uncle, unsure what else to do to staunch the growing scent of her sadness. The elder dragon sighed.

"Do not take it to heart. I am sure Sesshoumaru-sama will quickly correct any grievances that occur. Though by the outfit and weapon you carry, perhaps you are capable enough alone."

"We're about to find out. I was reminded of a promise to spar with Captain Ren this morning. That's where I was headed."

"Ah, the orphan? I have heard he is a prodigy, much like Sesshoumaru. It is a shame to see him debilitated."

"He'll be fine. Sesshoumaru was." she reminded him, chin lifting ever so slightly.

Her tone was defensive but in defense of which male, he could not tell.

"But I need to get going, so may I?" she raised an eyebrow at Ryouzou.

"Please. I would know that his cure is permanent. I can sense him but apparently not in the way you are able to. It is curious to have the perspective of our natural enemy."

"I am not your enemy, and I never will be. Miko in general aren't actually your enemy but your natural opposites, and that is not the same thing, no matter what **their** education hammers into them." Kagome said easily, closing her eyes and flaring her power once again.

Ryouzou considered the human child before him as she laid her small hands on the chest of his nephew. She appeared as any human but showed compassion and understanding for others in a way that was welcoming and enlightening. The holy mortals he had encountered in the past had been righteous and vengeful. It was no wonder they were disappearing by making themselves easy targets with their arrogance. Daiyoukai were not so easy to best and he himself had ended the lives of many lesser reiki-wielders who had miscalculated the foe they challenged. The black dragon steward began to regret his snide words toward her in the Council chamber. Perhaps, she would be a worthy addition to the West and to their fold. Her perspective would be unique and untainted by the past, as their own ideas often seemed to be. The world was changing and so must the Lands.

She finished her inspection and sighed with relief.

"It seems like your aura has bonded with you everywhere. I can't find a trace of the foreign youki that was binding it. I think the change is permanent!" She smiled at him. It was warm and genuine for the first time today.

"Ha!" Kouhei laughed and wrapped her in a crushing hug. Literally.

"Ow! Can't- breathe!"

"Kouhei, release her at once! Your strength is many times greater than hers!"

"Sorry! I keep forgetting!" Kouhei jumped and released Kagome.

"Hence our lessons today. And we should let the miko be on her way, as well. I thank you again, Lady Kagome, for your help and I hope we see you again when you return."

"Can I come visit you sometime?" Kouhei questioned, staying close to her. "You are not far from the Eastern stronghold while in Edo."

"I personally don't mind but the village might think otherwise. When you're able to travel discreetly, I think it would be safe. I don't how I'd explain a huge dragon or two landing in the field next to our house." she giggled.

"I agree. It may be some time, then. Come, Kouhei. If you wish to travel alone, you must first prove to This Ryouzou that you can master and maintain transformation."

The heir sighed. "Until next time then…" Kouhei bowed and placed his lips on the back of her hand, lingering for a second longer than she expected. "…Kagome."

His dark blue eyes slid back up to hers and she was captivated in his sincere, and heated, otherworldly gaze. The miko blinked a few times and smiled awkwardly back at him, taking a step to the side and shifting her staff with one hand.

"Yuh- Yeah, see you later!" Kagome waved and jogged off, uncomfortable with the mild sultry tone the heir had so easily used.

…

Kagome rounded the last corner and found the dojo by tracking Shippou's aura through the labyrinth of rooms beside and underneath the barracks. He was chattering away to Ren about what they were going to do if they finally went home today when Kagome found the right door and took in the dojo for the first time.

Like most, it was spacious, free of obstacles, floored with large tatami mats and framed in the same dark wood that Sesshoumaru's father had apparently favored. The room housed three large sparring areas. There were racks both standing against the wall and hanging that housed basic weapons for practice. The doors were all open to allow the fresh air through now that the rain had stopped. Kagome noticed evenly-spaced, ice blue crystals hung high along the walls. They seemed to glow from within but weren't bright enough on their own to light the dojo at night.

_'Not that youkai need help seeing in the dark anyway, duh.'_

She continued to wonder idly what they might be used for when a battle cry captured her attention. The farthest space was occupied by another pair, already absorbed in combat and oblivious to her arrival. Kagome stood entranced at the speed and ferocity with which they fought, wondering how much her own skills would pale in comparison as she walked slowly through the doors.

"Hey, Captain." She waved, unbinding the staff from her back and meeting the pair of youkai just inside.

"Good morning, my Lady. You took your time getting here." He palmed the pommel of his sword and shifted his weight, pale green eyes lighting with mischief.

"Kouhei-sama stopped me and I had to make sure he was okay after his ordeal last night." she shrugged.

"Had to?" he questioned dubiously.

"Well, I put him through all that so I wanted to make sure he was all right today."

"**You** healed him?" came the shocked and disbelieving question. "I felt his youki clear across the mountain in my room last night."

"I did. It was sudden but I'm so glad it worked. He was miserable."

Ren was quiet for a moment, fixing her with an appraising gaze and wondering how to proceed. His mouth broke sync with his brain and the request came tumbling out before he could stop it.

"And would you consider bestowing the same honor on me? I am not miserable but I would be whole again if I could. There has not been a time appropriate for me to ask and now you are leaving today."

"I don't know, honestly." Her eyes turned down in thought, small hand grasping her chin. "I've never done anything like restoring a limb. Breaking a seal is one thing, creating something new is another- Wait, don't look so down. I bet I know where we could start but can we get this over with first?"

"Was it not **you** who challenged **me**, despite my protest?"

"Yeah well, that was before I watched you hold your own with Sesshoumaru. Now I'm afraid I've bitten off more than I can chew, but I'm a woman of my word and I need to know."

"There are those odd phrases again. Alas, and my Lord was only teaching, not sparring. His power is much greater than my own. I would be overcome in a second if I were to attempt anything like Ryota-taishou's battles with him."

"Even so. Don't hurt me too much."

"First, the rules." He held up a finger. "I will not be accused of harming the future Lady of the West unnecessarily. If you feel overwhelmed at any time, simply bid me to stop and I shall."

"That's fair. And I won't use my power to harm you." She gave him a smirk and a shrug before she continued. "Stop you, trap you, rebuff you, sure. But not to harm you."

"Is there a difference? Can holy power be controlled so well?"

"Show him, Kagome! Do the thing!" Shippou jumped up and down.

"Shippou, that's not what my power is for."

"What does he mean, Kagome-sama? Now I must know."

"I suppose it's not something you would ever have seen before. I've had a crash course today in the idiocy of reiki-wielders in general. Miroku told me he'd never seen it done before either. Watch." Kagome shifted her feet and raised her right hand. "Reiki is primarily used two reasons: for healing and defense," her right hand lit with the bright blue energy he was familiar with but then he became confused. She stepped away from Ren and Shippou with a warning look.

"And for purification."

Kagome grimaced and her right hand illuminated itself with the pale pink of sakura petals and exploded in an aura of power that needled across his exposed skin. Ren found himself growling and taking another step away from her. She expected such a reaction and continued.

"Reiki with an intent to kill youkai is not to be played with. A human feels nothing when faced with purification reiki but, even to you, it could be deadly."

She closed both hands and the energy dissipated, leaving a stunned inu and an apologetic miko.

"I love it when she does that." Shippou hugged her leg, beaming with pride at the strength of the woman he called his mother.

"I'm sorry it shocked you but I am serious. I hope never to use purification energy on another youkai as long as I live. Our quest for Naraku saw me ignorantly firing arrows that could have seriously injured the people, and the youkai, I love. It's not my 'holy duty' to end innocent lives, and it was reckless to use power like mine without considering the consequences. I'll be having a serious talk with Kaede when I get home about the accounts I've heard since I've been here."

"I had no idea. I did not know such power could be changed or separated as you just did. It is my turn to feel outclassed, my Lady."

"Don't." She waved him off. "You have your own gifts, I hear."

"It is true and now I believe I may be in need of them all. Back to the rules, before I lose my nerve: second, we are done at the first draw of blood unless, I suppose, there is a stalemate."

"Also fair. And third, no going easy on me. I mean it." She took a step toward him and stabbed her staff to the floor to punctuate her intense stare directly into his viridescent eyes. "If I sense you holding back, I quit. If we're doing this, I expect you to come at me with everything."

Her resolve to give it her all hardened and Kagome had no more trepidation in her heart at battling the young inu as if it were real. The words of warning the future Sesshoumaru gave her echoed once again in her head. While his suggestion could have been to aid her in saving herself from Inuyasha's rampage, he had not been clear. She would make him tell her the truth if they met again but until then, this might be her one chance to test her skills against a truly challenging opponent.

Ren watched her consider him seriously. This was a contest of strength and determination. She was a human in a youkai arena, demanding the Captain treat her equally. Not as a human, nor as a female, but a worthy opponent. His instincts were aroused at her challenge and itch of his hand to grasp the hilt of his sword was nearly undeniable. Ren realized she was now shielding her scent, and it made him more curious. He opened his mouth to respond to her challenge when a bellow erupted behind them.

"Stop!" came a deep voice from the doorway.

"Ryota-taishou!" Ren's eyes widened and he bowed quickly.

The General ignored the inu completely and stopped in front of Kagome.

"My Lady, this is most unwise." he admonished.

"Oh, kami." the miko groaned, exasperated. "Sesshoumaru knows and he said it's fine."

"Is this true?" Ryota barked at Ren.

"It is true, sir."

"Well, I do not like it but if my Lord deems it appropriate, I will not contradict him. Please be careful. I loathe explaining to my Lord how you ended up in the infirmary **again**."

"Thanks a lot." she said sarcastically. "How's Haruto? Have you found a nursing mother to help you?"

"We have, thank you." He smiled. "One of the kitchen staff, a tanuki, has a litter and has agreed to help. Haruto was unsure this morning but accepted heartily when he discovered there was milk involved. He has since been much more active and much happier. We have every hope he will survive and we have you to thank."

"I just gave you a suggestion. **You** decided to do it and make it work. Give yourselves some credit for being good parents, too."

Ryota shook his head and grinned.

"Kagome-sama, you are infallibly kind."

She only tucked in her chin and blushed furiously under the direct praise.

"Now, I apologize for interrupting. I shall leave you to it. Ren," he stared down his nose at the young Captain, "I trust you to exercise caution."

Ren bowed, heart hammering in his chest. "Of course, Ryota-taishou."

The young inu had intended to spar with a friend, not the future Lady of the West. She had not been such when they made their promise to practice together. Ryota left them alone again without another word, hurrying quickly away from the dojo.

"And I expect you to ignore him completely and attack with everything you've got." Kagome said.

"You continue to put me in an awkward position, Lady Kagome."

"If you hold back, I'll let my staff put you in a few you'll like even less. Now, come on! Shippou, watch out and stay clear, okay?" She watched him nod and then focused on the daiyoukai making his way to center of the space to meet her.

…

The knock at the study door was a surprise. Sesshoumaru looked up from the letter he was writing, over to Rin who was studying intently on her own, and then back down to his letter.

_"My Lord? May I come in?"_ came the voice of the General through the door.

"Enter."

"I cannot usually approach you unnoticed. Is everything all right?"

"My mother works quickly."

The Lord of West narrowed his golden eyes on the parchment before holding it out for the General to read. Sesshoumaru watched as Ryota noticed the letter had been sealed with the crest of the kitsune tribe at the southern border of the Western lands.

"What in the West is this about?" the General wondered, scanning the parchment.

"It is a proposal from the clan leader to honor one of his daughters in bearing This Sesshoumaru's heir in the coming year."

"By the kami, she does work fast."

"Hn. Answering the many proposals I have received since her departure has been a near constant occupation."

"I am sorry then. I will leave you."

"What did you need?"

"It was nothing but I thought it fair to let you know that Lady Kagome and Captain Ren are sparring in the dojo this morning. Ren informed me that you agreed to this match?"

"I did. I did not think the miko would actually go through with it, however."

She grew in his estimation in that moment.

_'A woman of her word, indeed.'_

"Kagome-sama is fighting Captain Ren? Is that safe?" Rin asked, concerned.

"They were discussing the rules of the match beforehand so I believe they both understand the gravity of what they are doing. I have duties of my own to attend to but I would very much like to see her in battle."

"Sparring with the Captain is hardly 'battle' but it would be worthwhile to assess her skill. Join me, Ryota. Your duties can wait until the miko loses." Ryota barked a laugh and Sesshoumaru rose, desperate to do anything but respond to the many waiting requests perpetrated by his insufferable mother, and offered a hand to his ward. "Would you like to come, Rin?"

"Very much!" she grasped his hand and rose. "I hope Kagome-sama will be all right."

"Hm."

…

"One moment, Kagome-sama." Ren jogged over to the crystal nearest to him and lit his hand with his youki before touching it. In a moment, a chain reaction of youki was set off in the crystals around their arena and a barrier of youki snapped into place around them.

"Wow! So that's what those are for!" she exclaimed, impressed.

"Indeed. If we did not protect the space, I hate to think what the walls and floors of the dojo would look like in only a week's time. Hell, even the roof." He pointed up, grinning. "It also blocks outside interference so we will not be distracted."

Kagome laughed and tested the barrier with a small hand to find it jarringly cold to the touch but firm.

"Ready?" Ren asked, centering himself in the arena, drawing his sword, and opening his stance.

Kagome mirrored him, rolling her shoulders and palming her staff with both hands. She released a deep breath and held the staff defensively across her body as she bent her knees in a shallow crouch. Her mind thrummed with the possibilities of his first move. The muscles in her legs readied themselves to launch her body if he charged. Her arms flexed beneath the supple leather of her bodysuit, feeling the full weight of the staff in her hands. She felt a pale breeze lift the hair at the back of her neck as she waited an impossibly long second for him to move. And then he did.

Ren charged forward, sword raised and eyes narrowed in concentration. He wasn't taking her lightly. Good. She raised the staff just a bit higher and crouched, readying the strength in her arms.

He expected her to step out of the way, and smiled as if he'd won when she planted her feet to do just that. What he did not expect was for her to jump across him, roll the staff across her back to catch it in her right hand, and swing it wide to deliver a harsh blow to the back of his neck as he charged straight past. The strike caught him off guard and he stumbled forward, tucking into a roll to get back up and swearing loudly.

"Shit! That's a heavy staff."

"And that's a long sword. Stop whining. Are you bleeding?"

He palmed the back of his neck.

"No."

"Then let's do that again." she said determinedly, walking back to the center.

"Woo! One point to Kagome!" Shippou cheered from the sideline and she gave him a smile and a thumbs up.

"How do you reconcile being a healer and hitting like **that**?"

"One day, I might use these skills to defend you instead of pummeling you. But it does me no good if I don't try my hardest even when it's just practice. I think you did that on purpose, anyway."

"I did not. My neck would agree you do, in fact, try your hardest."

"Stop bellyaching and get back in the middle."

"Yes, my Lady." And he flourished a hand before an exaggerated bow.

Ren jogged back over and faced her. Even while they bantered, her countenance was more rigid and controlled. Gone was the bright-eyed, amiable healer. In her place was a warrior, using her strength and knowledge of herself to gain the upper hand. He would have to focus if he was to best her. This was no ordinary human woman. The challenge she presented was exciting and his youki rose within him, eager to test her true strength. The miko's aura was still carefully hidden, along with her scent, and she gave nothing away as she readied herself once again in the same stance. Ren admitted to himself that he had no idea what to expect from her and would wait for her to make the first move this time out of curiosity.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Ready." he said lowly.

Ren brandished his sword and waited. She shifted the staff to rest at her back when he didn't immediately charge, using her right hand to hold it up between her shoulder blades as she walked in a slow circle to her right. He mirrored her, watching her movements carefully.

_'He isn't going to charge me this time. He's waiting for me to move first. Fine.'_

Without a word, Kagome charged two crystalline spheres of reiki over her left hand and sent one hurtling toward him. He easily dodged the first, leaning his amputated arm away from the blast and readying his sword once again. The second, he noticed, was coming around behind so he decided to loose his own power as well. A breeze swelled beneath him as red bled into his eyes around the familiar green. She felt his youki rise and watched as the wind grew beneath him, rocketing him into the air to avoid her attack... then right toward her.

"No fair! I can't fly!" she laughed, throwing up a barrier and readying three more ice blue projectiles.

"No whining, Kagome!" he quipped back, grinning and almost on top of her now.

He pivoted in the air, lit his sword with youki and slashed down at the barrier. The long katana left a clean gash in the barrier and Kagome dropped it to dodge his second strike. She fired an orb at him from point blank range and he deflected it with his blade, sending it careening into the barrier around them.

_'Of course! He has a youki-infused blade… which also means…'_

She shifted the staff forward and saw the hesitance in his eyes. He didn't want a blow like the first to land again. When she lit the long staff with pink reiki and brought it around with a yell to catch his blade, Ren watched their weapons collide and felt the energy of his sword leave it entirely. It would take effort to charge at close range and she had bought herself a moment to go on the offensive once again.

This time, she spun the full length of the staff overhead in one hand, causing him to duck then dodge to the left to avoid the second sphere, which left him with both feet planted firmly. Kagome crouched and swept low at his leg with her own. He lifted it out of the way but forgot about the staff coming back around and felt the hard steel connect with the back of his calf, knocking him cleanly on his ass.

Ren blinked as he fell and when he opened his eyes, the point of her staff was nearly touching his nose.

"That's two." She heard Shippou 'whoop!' on the sidelines and smiled at his exuberance.

"Who in the seven hells trained you?"

"A taijiya and her monk husband. Well, I guess he's not really a monk anymore. They have three kids!" she giggled and shook her head, reaching down to help him up. "My best friends. You wouldn't know them."

"I think I would like to." the Captain said, rubbing his backside and dropping his sword to take her hand.

"Come visit me back home and I'll introduce you. And stop holding back. I'm almost positive now you're letting me win."

"It is not intentional, I assure you. You're much more creative than most of my partners. You are not a typical warrior."

"I'm not a typical anything, I guess. Just me." There was a sadness in her admission but she shook her head and blinked it away before cocking a hip to one side. "Wanna go again?"

"Oh, definitely. You are teaching me far more than I think I am you." he sighed, picking up his blade.

"Not the way I expected this to go."

"Nor I." he smiled.

There was mutual respect in their admissions and they nodded and reset their positions in the center of the mat.

Ren was very keen to see what she might do next. If humans were capable of such skill, he was mildly afraid for the coming skirmishes at the Eastern border. The human packs there were growing rapidly, claiming more and more of Lord Sesshoumaru's ancestral territory every year. Eventually, it would end in blood.

Kagome was waiting for the Captain to unleash so she could test her skills against the strength and speed of a daiyoukai. The words of warning from the future Sesshoumaru kept ringing in her head and she felt fear that whatever training she had already done wouldn't be enough.

In their excitement to continue, the sparring pair missed the silent additions to the dojo to watch the fight continue.

"Kagome-sama looks like Sango-san!" Rin clapped.

Ryota watched the miko shift from foot to foot with ice blue eyes practiced in assessing the strength of soldiers at a glance. Ren might have his hands full if her musculature was any indication. She was human and at a distinct disadvantage but showed no fear as she faced the Captain.

"That battle raiment is-" Sesshoumaru sneered.

"Enticing, my Lord? Alluring? Tantalizing?"

"-Inappropriate, Ryota." Sesshoumaru clipped.

"Me or the skin-tight leather your future Mate is wearing?"

"Both."

The General's deep laugh echoed through the halls and Sesshoumaru found his own mouth tip up in a small grin. They all quieted and watched the miko and inudaiyoukai in the center ready themselves again.

"I am ready." said the Captain, crouching lower and holding his blade up behind him with his one hand as she had with her staff.

The feral glint in his green eyes gave her pause. They flashed with predatory excitement as he tipped his chin up from his low bend. Ren was comfortable in her skill and would no longer give her the courtesy of respite. Now, he was serious.

_'Finally.'_

"Me, too." Kagome said seriously.

She charged him at the same time he leapt from the floor toward her, sweeping his blade around and upward as he approached. Kagome had no choice but to swing the staff down to parry it away but she did so with one hand, bringing the other around in a closed fist to punch at the left side of his jaw. He saw it in time and ducked around her, putting on a burst of speed to dash to her left, sweeping his blade down. She tucked around her staff and rolled forward, stabbing it to the floor to rise more quickly several feet away and continuing to retreat to give herself space.

Ren stood planted where he had slashed at her, the blade of his sword glowing with his youki but instead of chasing her, he arced it through the air with a growl and loosed a phantom blade of energy that rocketed across the dojo and was upon her in an instant. Throwing a hand forward, she deflected it with a small shield of reiki, sending the green blade careening to the ceiling.

"That's new!" she yelled.

"That is only the beginning." he grinned, widening his stance again as he yelled to her. "Let's see how you deal with this!"

His energy swelled to fill the arena and she gasped with the ferocity of it, never guessing he controlled so much power. She checked the sideline with wide eyes to make sure Shippou was still safely outside of the arena as Ren continued to build his youki, igniting his blade with it until she could no longer see him beyond the swirl of verdant energy still growing by the second.

"**Hyaku-mai no Tatsumaki!**" Ren bellowed across the dojo.

Kagome stabbed the staff to the ground and began to build the layers of her barrier, anticipating the hard hit. When he loosed the attack, slashing downward to set it free with a roar, the great wave of youki funneled wider and wider as it tore across the mats, growing into a cavernous tornado of sharp blades. When it broke over her barrier with a deafening roar, Kagome immediately felt the first few layers get instantly blown away and thought she would be safe until it passed as she gritted her teeth and funneled more reiki into her shield.

Ren was right behind his attack and came dashing forward, his sword tip appearing through the last few scattered ghostly brands of energy as he broke through his own attack to catch her off guard. The blade cut cleanly through the barrier once again and she stood to block him with her staff, struggling to stand in the strong winds created by his attack but fueled by determination to get as much from this experience as she could. Kagome put some extra power into the next parry of his blade and rocked it with the steel end of her staff, causing it to vibrate uncomfortably in his hand to give herself an extra second to get into a better position to fight him off.

They clashed again and again, metal singing out their battle in Fortress dojo. Kagome felt her arms begin to burn as he found a rhythm to their blows and settled in to beat her back. Kagome used both ends of the staff to parry his blows on all sides as Ren used his superior speed to dance around her, trying to find a weak spot.

She made a wild swing at his head to push him back and ten orbs of her power blinked into existence around her and she began pelting him from all sides. Ren was forced to jump and turn in the air to avoid being hit. That was all the break she needed to send the remaining five to bring him down. He used his command over the air to send himself back to the floor in a low crouch before springing up to rush her once again, sword tip leading his charge.

Three things happened at once: First, an unsettling and thick wave of Kouhei's youki crashed over the dojo from the fields outside, short circuiting the barrier around their match. Second, Kagome's senses were instantly overwhelmed by the strong demonic auras now coming from all around and she could no longer sense one from the other. Third, Ren didn't realize she had paused entirely and continued to rush forward.

He watched in horror as his youki-charged sword ran her through just beneath the ribs on her right side, the tip of his blade visible at her back. Blood began to bloom across both wounds.

Her scream of pain was instant and so was his regret.

"Oh, kami, no!" Ren breathed.

He withdrew the sword and Kagome dropped the staff and collapsed to the floor, her human body dealing with the pain and flood of foreign energy in the only way it could and shutting down completely. Her eyes fluttered closed and she fell limp to the floor.

"Momma!"

"Kagome! No! I didn't-" Ren babbled and dropped his sword, distraught.

"Idiot! I warned you!" Ryota shoved the Captain backward and away from her.

"**Move!**" Sesshoumaru bellowed above them all, lifting her limp body from the floor, and disappearing in a burst of speed to the healer's wing and trailing her blood the full distance.

…

The Chief Healer was cataloguing the new human remedies Kagome had taught him in the infirmary. Salves for many human skin ailments, pastes to mix with tea for pain relief and other internal maladies, and now a strong supply of bandages all lined a shelf in his apothecary should the need arise. He had only turned around to make some notes when the door to infirmary snapped open and the vengeful youki of the Lord of the West battered his senses and filled the room.

Kenshin took in the red-tinged eyes and low growl of Sesshoumaru and was confused, but then immediately more concerned with the blood soaked miko he bore.

"What happened?!" he exclaimed, running over to an empty bed and pointing.

"_**Your foolish, graceless brother!**_" Sesshoumaru snarled, gently setting her down and watching to make sure she was still breathing. Her heart was stuttering in her chest and his thoughts drifted for a moment to the fragility of life and what would happen if she died.

"Ren did this?! Why in the seven hells would he ever-"

Kenshin cut himself off, using his claws to slice through her outfit and assess the damage.

"He has run her through! I don't believe he hit anything critical…" he trailed off, applying pressure to the substantial bleeding. "Get me the-" but then the healer stopped himself, forgetting who it was he was barking orders to.

"What do you need?" the elder inu asked quickly.

"Light the brazier then rags, needle, and thread. I must keep pressure here." Kenshin pointed to the shelves with one hand and continued to apply pressure with the other.

Another minute passed as Kenshin went to work before three more youkai showed up in the infirmary, crowding the door.

"Is she okay?" "Kagome!" "Does the miko live?"

"Everyone shut it!" came the reprimand from the healer, back at the table and listening for the sounds of internal bleeding. Still applying pressure, he rolled her slightly to check the exit wound. His voice dropped in volume as he turned to the fidgety kit. "Shippou, you may stay if you can stay out of the way. Ren, get over here and stop the bleeding while I ready the cauterizing blade."

Shippou nodded and went to the other side of the bed, stroking her hair and watching her breathe. Ren was pale as he took over pinning her down to the bed with his one hand, his own panic growing as fresh blood crept through his fingers and spilled out onto the bed.

"Kenshin…" came Ren's concerned and trembling voice.

"Ren, don't move! My apologies, my Lord. Of course, you are welcome to stay if you would like." Kenshin muttered, cleaning the blade and accepting the gathered supplies from Sesshoumaru.

"Notify me when she wakes." was his stiff reply as he reached to take Rin from Ryota and turned to leave. The General followed suit and gave the pale priestess one last look as he walked out.

Ren was silent and let Kenshin order him around with rapt attention. Another several minutes passed as Kagome's wound was seared, cleaned, and stitched. Kenshin relayed to them both that he was hopeful she would wake before long. He gave Ren one last order.

"Go get Tomomi and instruct her to bring something clean to change Kagome-sama into. And Ren," he waited for his brother to meet his angry magenta eyes, "prepare yourself for punishment. He had almost lost himself when he arrived here."

Ren only swallowed, nodded mutely, and rushed out. Kenshin did not have to elaborate on who 'he' was.

"Sesshoumaru was that mad?" Shippou asked over Kagome's sleeping face.

"Very. I cannot remember a time his youki was stirred so violently." Kenshin shook his head, wiping the blood from her side.

…

Hours later, Kagome woke with a dry mouth and a raging pain in her side. The injured miko reflexively tried to sit up but collapsed heavily back to the bed when her side erupted in searing pain, stealing her breath.

"Oh, **dammit!**" she gasped, clutching at her side.

"Kagome-sama, wait! Do not move!" Kenshin was at her bedside in a second, checking her yukata for fresh blood beneath the quilt.

"Too late! What happened?" she hissed, squeezing her eyes shut through this new agony.

"You were run through in the dojo while sparring with Ren and brought here for treatment about three hours ago."

"Oh no. _Ren_." The memory came back full force. "Is he okay?"

"He impales **you** and you wonder about **his** health?" the healer raised an eyebrow, replacing her quilt.

"It was an accident. He knows it and I know it, but does Sesshoumaru?"

Her raspy voice sounded desperate; her concern sincere. Kenshin sighed under her pleading stare.

"He **is** being reprimanded for his carelessness." he said quietly, handing her a small cup of sake.

"It's not a slap on the wrist is it?" she asked sadly, downing the cup.

His pale hair shook around his face when he answered her. "I cannot say."

He caught the scent of her tears and dangled a clean rag over her.

"This is all my fault. I'm so sorry, Kenshin."

"You did not mean to put him in this position. His agreement to train with you was prior to your Mating contract. I believe no one is truly at fault here. Martyring yourself will only hurt him more."

She nodded behind the makeshift handkerchief.

"Where's Shippou?"

"He left only a few minutes ago to give an update. Lady Rin has been most worried about you but my Lord thought it best she stayed away should your condition worsen."

"I'll be fine."

"Will you, miko?" came the curious tone from the doorway.

"Sesshoumaru?"

Her blue eyes were searching the room and found him with one bare foot stepped in the infirmary.

_'Barefoot?'_

The blue silk haori and white hakama he wore were fresh leaving Kagome to wonder what he had been doing to be so underdressed and relaxed. This moment marked the first time Kagome had ever seen him appear so casual. So normal.

"Hm." He walked slowly to her bedside and scowled down at her, his silver hair curtaining his face. "You were careless."

"I was. Did you hurt him?"

"He is under Ryota's command, not my own. The General is carrying out his punishment."

"This is all my fault, though! I made him come at me with everything he had. Don't let Ryota-taishou hurt him!" she cried, lifting her head from the futon to attempt to prove to him how unhurt she really was.

"Did you? As I observed, you were outmatched, woman. And his punishment is not severe. Ryota understands your mutual agreement, but he should have been conscious of your distraction and stopped himself. His focus needs work."

Her relief was immediate, sighing and falling heavily back to the bed with a yelp and a grimace. Her tone and eyes were indignant when she continued.

"I **was** distracted but I wasn't outmatched. I was holding my own. Mostly."

"Hn. Perhaps we should procure some more leaves for you to eviscerate when next you train."

He waited for her to understand his meaning and was not disappointed.

"You were watching me?!"

He raised his chin at the insinuation he had been indecently spying on her.

"You were training in the middle of an open glade. Your game was hardly private."

It was hard to be properly angry lying on her back, immobilized by pain, but Kagome tried her best.

"It wasn't a game! I was training! Just having fun while I- Okay, so it was a game. But I won the two rounds with Ren before this happened, you jerk! Did you see those?"

"I did not."

"Well, I won them."

"Very well." His eyes crinkled at the corners with the smile he refused to let show. "Do you still wish to return to Edo today?"

"Yes. I need to go home. I need to see my friends."

_'And to face Inuyasha's death. What I really need is space and time, and I'm getting neither here.'_

He seemed to understand what she couldn't say and moved the conversation forward.

"Are you able to heal your injuries?"

"Yes. Shouldn't take me long but I need an hour or so. I've never been run through before…" Her small hand ghosted over her side, afraid to touch it and ignite the blinding pain again.

"It is an unpleasant sensation." he agreed. Kagome started to laugh and then yelped. "Do you require help?"

"I will, my Lord. Do not concern yourself." Kenshin said, coming to her bedside.

"Not long from now, the miko will be my concern. Allow me. What do you require?" he asked her quietly.

"An explanation? Why are you being so nice to me?"

His brows knit together when she so easily called him 'nice' but Sesshoumaru relaxed again to explain his unexpected presence.

"My behavior when last we spoke alone was unbecoming. Before you leave, I would like to speak with you privately but for now, I would help you if you would allow it."

"Why the talk? More rules I need to mentally prepare myself for? A tongue-lashing for making a fool of myself even though you both warned me?" she sighed, staring at the ceiling as one single tear rolled down her face.

He realized she was passing judgement on her own failure to best Ren in the dojo, and her honest self-pity mixed with the sadness in her eyes twisted something in the pit of his stomach. She was disappointed in her abilities and this first real trial after her training.

"No. Your tour of the gallery could wait, if you prefer, but it is part of the Palace you have not seen and we will be alone. When you are healed, meet me there. Your maid will know the way."

Kagome turned back and watched him for a minute. Then two. He stood as a statue, a blinking statue, but impossibly still under the doubtful scrutiny of her sapphire eyes. She wanted to believe he meant it. That he felt some remorse, like she did, for the yelling match at the end of their last conversation.

_'This seems highly uncharacteristic of him but I do need to get to my room… and he's trying.'_

"Could you take me to my room then? I need to heal and it takes time and quiet, and I don't want to ask any more of Kenshin-san," she raised her voice, not knowing where he was as she lay prone, "except maybe to tell Shippou where I've gone when he gets back?"

Kenshin nodded his acquiescence from the other side of her bed and went around to his desk to feign writing as he watched their exchange, his inu curiosity getting the better of him. Kagome watched Sesshoumaru at her bedside as he tried to figure out how to preserve her modesty and not aggravate her injuries.

"Here." she said, ending the pregnant pause. "Sit me up first. If I even flex my abs, it'll kill me all over again."

"You did not die, miko. Dramaticism does not suit you." he said, sliding a large hand under her warm back. "Are you ready?"

"Mm hmm."

Kagome gritted her teeth and tried not to flex the sheared muscles in her abdomen as he applied pressure to her back and helped her rise. She moaned as her posture straightened, the weight of her upper body now settling on the angry injury. Kagome sat for a minute, breathing heavily as the pain peaked and then started to diminish.

"Okay, if we're really gonna do this, you have to carry my whole weight." It was then she realized what that would mean. _Where_ his hand would have to go. "You know what, this is a lot. I can just try to walk."

"You cannot." growled Kenshin from across the room. "I forbid it."

Kagome opened her mouth to shoot something back about 'forbidding her to do anything' but Sesshoumaru got there first.

"I will carry you, miko. Be still."

"But you have to put your **hand**-" He arched an eyebrow at her flushed cheeks and she knew he understood. "Oh, screw it. Fine."

The Lord of the West decided he would not grin at her warmed face and nervous scent as he bent toward her. He would not. Not even when he slid one large hand under her ass to lift her from the bed and the scents of her embarrassment and nervousness doubled in intensity. He did not grin as she turned her head away to keep their cheeks from brushing one another. Sesshoumaru wrapped his other arm around her back, curling his fingers around her ribs. He also did not allow a grin as he cradled her impossibly light body against his torso and she mumbled something about 'never getting stabbed again' as she wrung her small hands in her lap.

She felt him nod to Kenshin, refusing to look up at anything or anyone for the moment, and they were out into the hallway before Kagome realized what she had actually asked of him. He was cradling an injured human like a small child in front of the whole Palace and had offered to do so on his own.

"I'm sorry about this." she whispered.

"It is of no consequence. You wish to return home today and this is a necessary step."

"Tomomi could have done it for me, though. It didn't have to be you."

His steps slowed for a moment as they rounded the corner to walk past the courtyard and he was silent until they reached the cover of the halls once again.

"Perhaps I wish for you to be more comfortable in my presence. I realize my choice of words and my outburst did not communicate that when we spoke in my quarters."

_'And I regret it.'_

"No, it didn't but I wasn't expecting anything in particular from you that night. I didn't know what to expect. Still don't. I suppose I didn't communicate very well either by yelling at you about a future we can't predict."

_'And I regret it.'_

"It is for this reason that I offered my assistance."

"Thank you." she said quietly. "And where are your shoes?"

"My guests have all left, all but you and the kit, so there is no need to remain in full dress." At her disbelieving eyebrow, he continued. "This is a Palace but it also my home. Do you maintain such high standards of dress when alone in your own home?"

"No." She laughed and the hissed at the new pain. "No, I don't. You've got me there."

Her nervousness lessened and Sesshoumaru was satisfied their current position was no longer traumatizing her. He was surprised, however, when she leaned slightly into his chest and grasped the lapel of his haori in some feeble attempt, he assumed, to keep herself upright.

"Kouhei left, too? Was he okay?"

"He was. He wished to see you once more but not knowing when you would wake from this newest trauma, I bid him to return to the East."

They went through the halls outside the infirmary without incident but as he approached the guest quarters, much more populated by servants, they garnered a few curious glances, hushed whispers, and knowing smiles. Kagome was surprised that there were many of the latter. Especially, she noticed, from the older female servants.

"Why are they all smiling at us? What am I missing?" she whispered.

"It has been the pastime of the household for many years to pester This Sesshoumaru to find a Mate. They appear to finally be satisfied to see the Lord of the West promised to another."

"Oh."

"They have also undoubtedly heard of your many selfless acts since coming to the West and are curious about the miko who is a champion of youkai."

"Oh."

"This troubles you?"

"No, just processing. I'm sorry if it's been trouble for you. I didn't mean for all these things to happen."

"You **are** a singularly disruptive presence, miko."

"That won't change, I'm afraid." She shrugged as best she could, wrapped up tightly in his arms. "I don't look for trouble but it always seems to just… find me."

"Your experiences since arriving would support that logic."

They arrived at her rooms and she directed him to set her down on the futon with an apology.

"Thank you. Sorry about that."

As Kagome settled and steadied her breathing in the face of a fresh wave of pain, Sesshoumaru straightened and waited. Kagome looked up at him, bracing herself upright as much as possible.

"Are you going to stay while I meditate?"

"No, I will leave you."

When Sesshoumaru continued to stand there gazing at the open door but unmoving, Kagome wondered what he was waiting for. The curious miko used the agitation in his aura and pinched fold of his hakama between two clawed fingers to figure out what was going through his head. The realization hit her and Kagome had to bite her lip to stifle the knowing grin.

_'He's nervous! But about what?'_

A moment later, she was surprised by his question.

"Will you meet me in the gallery when you are healed? Or would you prefer to leave immediately?"

Kagome only blinked at him with wide, sky blue eyes.

He was genuinely _asking_. It was her choice. Spend time alone with him or don't. On the outside, it was a small thing but the hopelessness she had felt over dinner last night was centered around her future, her time, being out of her control. He was Lord here. She was no one. Today, though, Sesshoumaru was standing in her rooms, barefoot, asking her to spend time with him after carrying her, cradling her, down a public hallway in broad daylight. Her head spun for a moment with the absurdity of it all.

_'Inuyasha, what would you make of all this?'_ She smiled gently imagining the eye-twitching shock plastered on his disbelieving face.

She was well within her rights to deny him, he knew. The conversation he had planned was not a particularly pleasant one, but necessary. Sesshoumaru stood over the miko, wondering at the many expressions crossing her pale face. Confusion, concern, a wistful smile, concentration. He wondered how one human could feel so much yet say nothing. The shifts in her scent were so rapid they were impossible to trace, even for him. A jumble of the few he knew but one stood out that he did not. The fragile and calming scent of jasmine joined the wood ashes and yuzu of her sadness and nerves. He began to ask her what reason she had for this new cycle of emotions when she spoke.

"Okay. I'll meet you there."

He inclined his silver head.

"Then I shall see you in the gallery when you are healed."

The inudaiyoukai turned quickly and left, closing the door behind himself.

Kagome stared at the now closed door and waited for the curiosity and stirred emotions to calm before she could reconcile this new information about him into place. He had been unsure. That was new. She gave the new information another minute to settle before taking a deep breath to begin to settle her mind. Using her arms to lock herself into a passable position, the priestess closed her eyes and began to slow the reactions within her body: her breath, her heartbeat, and the steady current of thoughts and emotions native to all humans. The trance was slow in coming given the excitement of the morning but eventually, she found peace and began to heal.

…

Sesshoumaru walked back through the halls to the knowing smiles of his servants and determinedly ignored them all. Wildfire had nothing on the gossip chain in the servant's halls.

There was much to consider before he spoke with the miko. What to tell her, what to omit for the sake of her already overwhelming grief, and how she would come to know everything anyway if he did not tell her now. Two days ago, when they discussed the Bond and what her return would mean, he had neglected to tell her every detail thinking it was too much for one conversation when she was already barely in control of her emotions.

The primal youkai that created the Bond had been thorough in ensuring it achieved its purpose. The safety of Mates was assured in their knowledge of each other's whereabouts, the creation of offspring was ensured by the enduring lust following the first joining, but the last was to ensure a Mate's full knowledge of the being to which they were tied for eternity: the sharing of critical memories and the emotions tied to them, both from the past and forward into the future as the Bond grows. Mates come to know those moments in each other's lives that have defined who they are: joy, excitement, accomplishment but also grief, loss, and regret. An uncomfortable side effect of having another's aura folded into your own.

While he was sure many of hers would be painfully tied to his brother, his own would be a complete mystery to her. His plan for their Bond did not involve her Marking him as well but she would see much of his past and it would be unsettling out of context. He could explain now and add to her contemplation of him over the next two years, or he could wait and allow the Bond to do it for him only to spend the next several days after their joining answering what was sure to be an avalanche of uncomfortable and penetrating questions. He opted for the former and had made a plan with the miko. She would know the turmoil of his past before she left for Edo.

…

Kagome meditated into the afternoon, exploring and healing the damage to her abdomen. Ren's sword hadn't pierced anything critical but it still hurt like a son of a bitch, even as she used her energy to knit the inflamed and youki-infused flesh back together. An hour or two later, satisfied everything was back as it should be, Kagome rolled onto all fours and slowly attempted to stand. When the pain did not reappear, she stretched in a half-moon to each side and closed her eyes, feeling the muscles beneath stretch without pain. A deep sigh brought her upright.

"Good. Let's never do **that** again."

Her fingers pried open the white yukata around her and examined the healed skin.

_'Great. Another scar.'_

The width of Ren's blade was now etched into her skin. A puckered and pink scar that would never disappear completely from the youki infused in his blade. Every major scar was a reminder of a mistake. The wide, jagged scar that wrapped around the left side of her waist from the demon who had dragged her through the well was a reminder that she had shattered the Shikon no Tama. The four identical claw marks Sesshoumaru had left in her right arm reminded her of her failure to save Inuyasha. Her failure to defeat Ren reminded her she wasn't ready to face daiyoukai in battle. Not really. And it stung.

'Then do better.' she mentally admonished herself. 'Miroku and Sango weren't done with me yet.'

"Now, where is that kit?"

Even after changing and repacking her pack and the gifted clothes, Shippou hadn't come back yet so she found some writing tools in the low desk and left him a note relaying she'd be in the gallery with Sesshoumaru and would meet him back here when they were done. A knock at the door stilled her hands.

_'Who in the world…?'_

"Yes? Who is it?" she asked cautiously.

"Ren. Can I speak with you?" There was a silent pause. "Please?"

Kagome was up and to the door in a flash, snapping it open.

"Kami, are you okay? What did the General do to you? Should I get your brother?"

Her eyes roamed his frame, checking for evidence of the beating she was sure he'd endured this morning. She didn't expect his hand to grasp her arm roughly, walking her backwards as he stepped into her room.

"Am I okay? Do you hear yourself?!" His yell surprised her and she jumped with the intensity of his voice. "I could have killed you!"

He checked the hallway around them and was satisfied no one saw him step in. He was angry, seething at her concern over **him**, and Kagome didn't know how to react. She settled for laying her hand on his and trying to look him in the eye. His youki was whipping in violent waves around him and his eyes were full of regret.

"But you didn't- I shouldn't have gotten distracted- I'm sorry," she sighed, "but I'm fine. See?"

Her left hand pinched her own side and she watched his eyes find hers, waiting for evidence of pain. He relaxed slightly and met her eyes.

"Kagome, what could have happened- I cannot-" he sighed and dropped his hand.

"Don't beat yourself up. I'm fine. We agreed to the rules before the match, I got distracted and left myself open. You didn't do anything wrong. Look at me, Ren." She flicked his chin up to meet her eyes. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"It's more than that. I can never spar with you again. I see the light leave your eyes whenever I close my own." He screwed his eyes shut, remembering. "I hear your scream. Smell your blood. Death has never affected me in such a way."

"I didn't die. Don't do that. It's not your fault. I goaded you into coming at me with everything, didn't I?"

"I should have been more aware. I have never battled a miko. The challenge you presented was unique and I was more excited to face you than any opponent before. I let my pride and curiosity cloud my reasoning and nearly killed you. Do you understand?"

"I do. I'm fine, Captain. And I need to practice tuning everything else out. If I had done that, and stopped worrying about Shippou **and** the soldiers fighting at the other end **and** you at the same time, I might have been less effected by Kouhei's youki and won the last round, too."

Her self-satisfied smile was cheeky and he felt the tension in his heart release just slightly.

"So, it was a good session, then." she nodded.

"How can you say that? You nearly died!"

She shrugged. "We both learned something. The point was to train. I call that a win."

Ren stood in shock for a moment then his face split into a wide grin and he doubled over laughing. She joined him after a moment and they stood there in her room, laughing like a pair of fools over her near miss with death.

"Now, I'll be fine and I have somewhere to be. No more self-flagellation over it from you. I'll be leaving this afternoon but I need to meet Sesshoumaru in the gallery for some reason. Oh!" She suddenly remembered Ren lived here, too. "Can you tell me where it is?"

"Of course."

His mirthful smile dimmed and Ren turned in the direction of the meeting rooms and began to point. He directed her through the Palace, past the meeting rooms, and to the farthest side of the Palace from the guest wing. Kagome figured she could find Sesshoumaru's aura once she'd gotten that far.

"If I don't see you before I go, come visit me if you have time. You and Kenshin. It'd be nice to keep up while I'm gone but I know it's a long way away. Give me until summer though, just to be safe. Spring is a busy time of year but summer usually sees my workload slow down."

_'And I need winter to myself.'_

"I will come visit you then. I never have much time to myself but with peace settled into the Lands, I hope that may change."

"Me, too. Thanks, Captain. For everything."

He bowed and pressed his lips to her hand.

"I thank you as well, Kagome-sama. If I do not see you before, your return to the Palace will be a welcome one."

Ren's bright green eyes lingered on her hand before he stood and released her, backing away and leaving her alone in the room once again.

…

Sesshoumaru waited for the priestess in the solemn silence of the gallery. The servants had been instructed by Jaken that while the Lord of the West was visiting, they were to stay away.

It was a long while before the miko stood outside the gallery doors, and he listened as she strained to swing the steel-bound wooden doors that were twice as tall as he was. The inu gave her a few minutes to try on her own before ending her struggle and easily pushing them open from inside.

"Problem, priestess?" came his timbre from inside the swinging doors.

"**What** are those things made of? I've lifted ox carts that weighed less." she laughed.

"You are healed?"

"Yes. I add another scar to the list but that's nothing new." Kagome shrugged.

Sesshoumaru allowed a small smile in anticipation of her reaction and invited her in.

"Come. There is much to see."

He swept a navy-clad arm inward, allowing her to see the vast room that was the gallery. And it was a vast room. The size of roughly two of the training fields put together, it was completely open except for the occasional thick, dark wooden pillar dotting the interior. Skylights allowed the sunlight of the afternoon to shine throughout the open space in columns of golden light from ceiling to floor.

"Wow…" she whispered, venturing in with wide eyes and a slack jaw.

Sesshoumaru followed behind her as she forgot him entirely and walked dazedly to her left, staring in awe at the artifacts around them. There were statues of great inu nearing the height of the ceiling, large paintings of fierce battles and huge families, and even a few exceedingly elaborate kimonos that hung reverently along the walls from great, polished wooden displays. Armor and weapons or varying styles and detail stood guard nearer the central pillars of the room and seemed to dare visitors to disrespect the noble history on display.

"Is this all from your family?" she marveled.

"Yes. My immediate family and my mother's. My father did not come from a great family but forged his title for himself. Much of the history here is from my lifetime."

"I'm glad you asked me to come. This is amazing."

Sesshoumaru nodded his acceptance of her praise and she continued around the room, asking questions and listening closely to the answers. He found himself proud that she saw value and wonder in his ancestry.

"Do human families keep much of their history? Your kind are not long-lived but I imagine the sentiment is familiar."

"Yes, actually. My grandfather keeps lots of mementos from his youth and we have some small paintings of a few of our ancestors. Nothing as grand as this though. Ours would all fit in a guest room. The benefits of a long life, I guess."

She smiled at him genuinely and he realized she was at peace with her existence. A human life lived in a human way. She did not seem to yearn for more. Even his brother had, at one time, wished to be more than he was. But not this human woman. He added this information to the growing list of facts he now knew about his future Mate.

"Who's in this one?" came her innocent question, pointing to the scowling image of an elder inuyoukai with a long, thin beard and fierce, pale golden eyes.

"This is my great grandsire. On my mother's side."

"He looks very… angry."

"He was, in general. He died only a few decades ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Do not be. He died as he wished to." At her curious head tilt, he elaborated. "In battle. He lived a full life."

She nodded her understanding and moved on. Stopping in front of a large, pale carving of a great inu, she glanced over at him with a smile.

"Do I know this one?"

"You do. It is-"

"Don't tell me who this one is… Let me guess. This one looks more delicate than the others. More graceful." Kagome glanced around the open mouths and large teeth of the other statues and shivered before turning back. "Those aren't your markings… but there is a crescent moon. Is this your mother? Kikuko-sama?"

"Very good. This was a present from her mother when she Mated my father. Your attention to detail is better than I expected, given your condition this morning."

"I'm never gonna hear the end of that, am I?" Kagome shook her head and then looked sadly at the statue. "I'm sorry my agreement to all this made your mother so angry. I hope you can work it out. I don't want to live the rest of my life being hated by my mother-in-law, whatever else happens."

"My mother is difficult. You may never have the occasion to meet again. She has been known to hold grudges longer than a human life."

"I'm sure her reaction had a lot to do with Izayoi." Kagome said quietly.

"In part, but she is also equally likely to be angry that her own plans in rebuilding my father's empire were stalled."

"Well, I'm sorry either way. I hate it when my mother and I argue."

He only nodded and moved past her to look at another painting, framed in a gilded wood.

"That's a big family. Wow, there's, like… ten, eleven, twelve kids! Is that you? And your mother?"

"Yes. My father is there, as well. You would be unfamiliar with his appearance. My uncle and his family are greater even than this in number now. My mother comes from prolific stock."

"I can see that. And they all have your coloring. All but this one." Kagome pointed at a young female sat at the left end of the family with a matching, peaceful smile.

"She is not their natural daughter. She was adopted into my uncle's family."

"Oh, that's nice. Just like Rin. Lucky girl."

Kagome looked over at him to see his response only to be met with golden eyes full of sorrow and purpose.

"You deserve the truth. Our lives were already intertwined by my brother but they will, not surprisingly, be more so after we are Mated. You will receive the emotions, the memories, that define the most critical moments in my growth. As I would receive yours, if you could complete the Bond in the same way. I was not forthcoming during our first discussion but you should know this and have time to consider how this intimate knowledge will affect you."

"What could be so bad? I know you have a past. We all do. I bet you already know most of mine anyway. You were there for Naraku's defeat, that was obviously a big one for me, and I was there when you let go of your need for Tessaiga and got your arm back. I don't know all the details of your adoption of Rin but I'm sure that's mostly happy."

Kagome walked forward and laid a gentle hand on his forearm. She watched as his whole body tensed from his jaw to his boots. Blue eyes glittered in the sunlight as she looked up at the tall inudaiyoukai who was obviously uncomfortable.

"Sesshoumaru, you were front and center for the worst day, the worst moment, of my life. I'm not-" she swallowed thickly, needing to get this out. "I'm not angry at you for stopping him. I tried to be, just to blame someone, but Inuyasha knew me well enough to say exactly what I needed to hear. He knew I'd be angry at myself for losing him. He knew I'd try to blame myself, or you, to deal with it. You already know all that about me. If anything, I'll be glad to know **you** better. You're… kind of quiet."

"That is the intended purpose of the transference."

"Oh."

"Mating is a choice. You chose Inuyasha and he, you. That is the usual way of things. Our situation is unique and irregular."

"That's true. Is that what's made you sad? That you don't have a choice in this either? You look just like you did at the river before the battle with Inuyasha."

Kagome softened her eyes and waited, barely a step away from him. He was struggling with whatever he needed to tell her and she would quietly wait for him to find a way. He would not be rushed. She understood that much about him already.

Sesshoumaru stared back at her for a moment, remembering how she had cut through him with her declaration at the river, and deciding how to begin now. He was not disturbed by a lack of choice. There had been only one other in his long life and he found himself apathetic at the idea of trying to find another afterward. Feeling trapped by duty, he hated to tempt fate with another option to torment him.

But then Katsurou made his demand and suddenly, the pressure to find another was removed from his shoulders. The choice was no longer his and he was… relieved. The trial now was preparing a human, who had no idea what she had truly agreed to, to take her place in a society that would both scrutinize her mercilessly and then forget about her completely.

"You asked me if you were the first, and you will be, but I was intended for another once in my youth."

"Oh?"

He turned away from her and locked eyes with the pale blue of the young inuyoukai female in the painting.

Kagome, too, turned to study her and realized what Sesshoumaru was trying to tell her. She noticed the detail of the youkai female's proud face and the short, dark markings along her high cheekbones. The dark and shoulder-length hair that was stubbornly wavy like her own, and the gentle gaze from eyes that were smiling but a different shape and shade than the rest of the family in the portrait. She waited as Sesshoumaru gathered his thoughts.

"Her name was Yaeko, a ward of my mother's family, as I said, who had been rescued sometime in her first fifty years from the traders' chains. She was too weak to fight back and too young to understand their intentions, but she would have been bound for the pleasure houses in the youkai districts. My uncle rescued her and allowed her to live at the Palace. When she and my cousins grew close, and she showed a quick mind, they adopted her."

"That's Shippou's age! How terrible. How did you know each other?"

"Several times in our youth and then later, when we were older, my uncle and his family would come to visit the West. Yaeko was singularly unafraid of me and my status as the Western heir, having grown up so separated from our way of life. She persisted in her insolence even after being harshly educated by my mother on several occasions. Most frequently, on the impropriety of sneaking into my room in the middle of the night. Every year, even past the age of maturity, she would come to me alone to tell wild tales about the mainland's foreigners and their strange customs. It became our tradition."

"How scandalous." Kagome feigned shock by placing a hand over her mouth.

"Hardly. But I enjoyed her company and over time, we grew closer. We became lovers when she came of age. I proposed Mating to her the summer of my six hundred and thirty-seventh year and she accepted."

"I don't understand then. You said-"

The confession tore out of his throat before his pride could stop it.

"My father killed her…" Sesshoumaru took a deep breath and looked at Kagome. "Before we Mated, before I knew what was happening and could stop it, he killed her."

"What?" Kagome whispered. "No. Why? How could he do such a thing?"

"To punish me. For being less than a perfect heir." His eyes turned to steel and found the visage of the Inu no Taishou in the same painting, scowling as the memories became raw once again. "I wanted no part in the dynasty the Inu no Taishou imagined. My name, my status… my life was decided for me before my birth. Another soldier, a pawn, in his game to overtake the world. He killed Yaeko after his discovery that I intended to leave the West and journey to the mainland to live with my mother's family after we were Mated."

"That's… that's terrible. Sesshoumaru, I'm so sorry."

He continued, staring blankly at the portrait, determined to finish recounting the worst moments of his life and avoid seeing the pity he could smell was gathered in her eyes.

"His ability and power had begun to overtake his reason and he was half mad with it already. My mother refused to acknowledge that his abilities were dangerous and carried on as if nothing was changed. He was merciless in battle, as was expected, but his mind never left the battlefield and after several decades of fighting, and absorbing the power of every one of his victims, he began to lose himself. I could see it. His General, Kazuhiko, could see it."

Kagome stood with her hand over her mouth and tears gathered in her eyes.

"Just before he left my mother for the human princess, he was informed that I had entered into a Mating agreement with Yaeko and dragged her away from the Palace in the normal confusion of the morning. I did not know until it was too late. Later, he assured me her death was quick and painless, as if sparing me some regret. I knew the scent of lies even then. Her death would not have been quick nor painless. I sensed her youki mingled with that of my father's and knew what he had done. I had only myself to blame. She died because I failed to protect her from a threat to her life I never calculated."

"That is not true-"

"Please." He held up a hand. "There is more."

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to. I understand enough."

"This is important. But after today, I respectfully request you keep my history to yourself."

"Of course, Sesshoumaru. But what about Tenseiga? Couldn't you bring her back?"

"The Sword of Heaven was not yet mine" he shook his head, "…and he refused to repeal my punishment despite my begging for her life. It was the first and last time I have ever lowered myself to do so."

Kagome held a sleeved hand in front of her mouth and let the first few tears fall silently after he began to speak again.

"Touga was fighting the East at the end of the Four Points Wars and he ran back to the battle after carrying out my punishment. I drew rage from the wellspring of my grief and hunted him down, demanding he relinquish the swords of Heaven, Earth, and Hell so he could do no more damage. To end his senseless war. I found my father outside Izayoi's manor and near death. Grown thoughtless in his madness, the dragon Ryukotsusei had bested and nearly killed him. My father threw my own sentiment at my feet when his human whore was attacked by her own men."

The growl that erupted from Sesshoumaru was full of pain and rage, and echoed loudly around the empty room.

"How dare he ask me if I had something to protect as if he had not thrown his entire kingdom away in his arrogance and pursuit of one human woman!"

Kagome startled when he yelled and felt his grief. A hand reached out toward him in comfort but then she withdrew it, knowing he wouldn't welcome or accept it from her while he felt so vulnerable. He stood there, collecting himself through deep breaths for several moments before continuing.

"After her death, I lost myself for many years to my rage and sorrow. I used it to hone my skills as I traveled, wanting no part in ruling the West ever again. Once I was recovered, I took Tenseiga and worked to recover the other two swords of my father that they might not fall into more ambitious hands. I vowed to be better than my sire. My path to conquest, to be better than the murderer the Inu no Taishou had become, began then."

"I heard you use the words 'Supreme Conquest' once." she said thoughtfully.

"A title I used to describe the need to best him in all ways. Eventually, I was convinced to return to the West to rule. My mother was not fit to do so in her grief so to spare her, I agreed to return when my father's swords were recovered."

They were quiet for several minutes. Kagome felt Sesshoumaru trying to calm himself and when his youki settled down again, Kagome reminded him of their shared history.

"Your quest to find the swords, I am already intimately familiar with."

"I suppose you are. My intention was not truly to rob Inuyasha of his weapon but to seal it away from the world. I alone know what it is capable of. Was capable of. Destruction like Tessaiga's did not belong in the hands of an untrained hanyou. I attempted to protect him from the temptation of the power the sword held."

"You had a funny way of showing it. It took me watching you teaching Ren a lesson to understand that you were trying to train Inuyasha back then. You beat the crap out of him for no reason, too. I know that now, so don't deny it."

"I will not. Inuyasha was so like him, my father, that I battered him mercilessly in his youth in an effort to take out my misplaced need for revenge on the one being in the world Touga might have wronged even more than myself. The guilt, the remorse, and the anger at my father for leaving me in this position... reconciling his endless mistakes…"

"I understand."

His first inclination was to berate her for assuming a human could ever understand the centuries of his life he had wasted on others' mistakes. Thinking better of it, he considered she might have a reason for feeling as she did.

"Do you? You would be the first."

"I am very familiar with cleaning up life-altering mistakes, even if it **was** self-inflicted." Kagome hung her head for a moment, gathering her courage to tell him the truth. "It was my arrow that shattered the jewel. I dragged Inuyasha and my friends, you, and so many others into the battle that never would have happened if not for my lousy aim."

"You were responsible? **Your** error was shattering the Jewel of Four Souls?" He turned barely widened eyes on her in confusion. She nodded sheepishly. "You might truly understand then."

"I'm glad my epic blunder helped you feel better."

And he did.

They were silent for several long moments.

"I failed Inuyasha just as I failed Yaeko."

"You didn't fail Yaeko or Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru."

"Hn. I did fail her. Just as I would have failed Rin if you had not agreed to Katsurou's demands. I thank you for preventing me from losing the last of those in my charge. Rin has been taken to the Underworld twice before this. I cannot save her from death anymore."

"I know how that feels, too. I still can't believe he's gone. I really don't know what to do now." she finished quietly, her small voice breaking.

"I feel regret for my past with Inuyasha because there is no hope of reconciling with him. You know now that my father's ability was a curse. Inuyasha would have been overtaken at some time in his life regardless of my actions, but when it did, I felt only regret." He looked into her eyes again, noting the way she tried not to let the gathered tears spill over. "He deserved a better life."

"It wasn't your job to protect him. It was mine. And I tried and failed. Don't blame yourself."

"Your efforts to help him were noble and selfless. There is nothing you could have done."

She nodded silently, inhaling slowly and trying to stop crying for the fourth or fifth time today.

"You did not reserve my rage two days ago and I apologize. There is much to consider in our future but it is no fault of yours that you feel as you do."

"Me, too. I don't know how we'll come to an agreement but yelling never solves a problem. I was trying so hard to hold it all in but what I really need, what I have to do, is go home and work through everything." Kagome breathed a shuddering sigh and shivered before looking at him once again. "No matter what happens in two years, I appreciate you telling me all of this. I felt alone in my loss but it never occurred to me you might know how this feels."

"I have experienced loss like yours. I do not envy you the coming months."

"Me either." Kagome hesitated for a moment. "You **are** better than your father, you know. You've done good things for lots of people just since I've been here."

It was the first time anyone had ever spoken those words to him. Sesshoumaru felt the truth in them as Kagome so openly and honestly said the one thing he had needed to hear to step out of the shadow of the Inu no Taishou.

"Thank you. You, also, have helped to repair the mistakes of the past. Despite appearances, the East has never truly warmed to the alliance of the Four Points. Healing the heir will change many minds on their position."

"I wanted to help a youkai who needed it. It was dumb luck it was the Cardinal Land you wanted to impress."

"This Sesshoumaru did not want to 'impress' the East, miko. Alliances aid us in building stronger lands. It is a wise strategy to maintain good relationships."

"By impressing them."

"As you wish."

There was another piece of the puzzle she needed him to agree on.

"When I get back to Edo, I do need to go home to see my mother. I don't want to risk everything by leaving but I need to see her. She knew him and she'll understand."

"Very well. I will send a soldier to guard the village while you are away. Inuyasha knew your family?"

"He did." She smiled warmly. "They loved him."

"Despite his heritage?"

The miko's smile turned watery but remained. "My mom knew what he needed. All he really wanted was a family and mine accepted him for who he was." Kagome laughed at the memories that surfaced of hiding him in modern Tokyo. "She loved taking care of him. And he loved her cooking. My mom also loved his ears. I did, too."

"I did not know."

Something turned over in his chest at the discovery that Inuyasha had a family to care for him. His brother had been loved by many. Sesshoumaru felt relief that his own mistreatment of the boy had not doomed Inuyasha to a life of loneliness, and then he felt regret at having never been a part of it.

"I'm worried about what will happen to the village when I'm not there two years from now." Kagome continued.

"Ryouzou and Kouhei have agreed to leave Edo in the care of the humans into the far future." At her curious look, he continued. "Inuyasha. I gave my word as he lay dying that the village would remain in existence, no matter the wars of humans or youkai."

"What did he tell you about it? The village?" Her tone was guarded.

Sesshoumaru wondered why she was tense as she asked him, and then his curiosity swelled again when he told her why.

"Only that he knew it was important in the future that it remain as it was."

"He really was wonderful, you know. I hope you understand that about him at least."

"I begin to."

He turned away from the painting and began to walk towards the large doors leading out of the gallery.

"What will you do for the next two years?" she asked, catching up to him.

"Solidify agreements with the human families, firmly establish our borders, and visit the largest strongholds in the West to assess their needs."

"You'll be busy then. Shippou said Rin wanted to come live in Edo for the summer. She's welcome to stay with us. Kaede is getting old and could use her help for sure, but I know for a fact she snores."

"Rin is very fond of your time together."

"And we're fond of her, too. I'll keep her safe, I promise."

"I will bring her then and retrieve her at the beginning of autumn."

"And how am I getting home?"

"Are you familiar with the dragons we keep?"

"Not in the slightest. You keep dragons? They're not relatives of Ryouzou-sama are they?" the miko grinned knowingly.

"Obviously not." he scoffed. "Come. We will collect your effects and I will introduce you to A-Un."

…

Rin, Ryota, Kouji, and the inu brothers were all gathered at the Fortress to tell Kagome and Shippou goodbye. Tomomi had created new miko robes for Kagome to travel home in and she had hugged the gentle deer in thanks and friendship, wishing her well in the coming two years. Kagome had braided her long hair for the journey home and asked for a new ribbon to tie it with. Tomomi had brought her a new one in a dark indigo. The ends of the new ribbon fluttered behind Kagome in the late autumn breeze. The wind was cold and the high clouds smelled of snow to the youkai in attendance. Winter was nearly here.

Rin seemed saddest to see Kagome leave but Sesshoumaru laid a hand on his ward's shoulder and she tried her hardest to be brave. Kagome reminded the young woman that this was not goodbye and they would see her in Edo when the weather turned warm again. They hugged warmly and Kagome whispered she couldn't wait to see her again.

Kagome gave some last pointers to the new parents, Ryota and Kouji, on keeping Haruto healthy in the coming cold months. They thanked her and wished her well, relaying their excitement for her return.

Ren and Kenshin both smiled when she approached.

"Well, I guess I'll see you in a couple years."

"Stay well, Kagome-sama." Kenshin bowed and smiled. "And we anxiously await your return."

He was unsurprised when Kagome leapt over and hugged him warmly. Still embracing him, she thanked the healer for saving her not once or twice, but three times in her short visit to the West.

"Of course. You have taught me many useful things since coming here. I hope your return is much less eventful."

"Take care of Tomomi, okay?" she winked at him, turning to Ren before the healer's face burst into flame while he sputtered his denial.

"Be well, my Lady." Ren said, bowing and taking her hand.

"I will. You, too. Don't get into too much trouble while I'm gone."

"Of course."

"I'll keep doing some research on what I might be able to do for your arm, if you want."

"Please. I will study as well and try to visit you if I can."

"Do that."

She launched herself at him, too, and was glad to feel him hug her back.

"Momma? Are we ready now?" came the anxious question from behind.

Kagome bent down and collected Shippou in her arms, kissing the top of his head.

"Yep. All packed. Let's go home, kiddo."

Sesshoumaru left Rin and waited for permission from the miko. Rin ran around to grab the reins of the twin-headed dragon and began to pet them fondly. Sesshoumaru lifted the miko onto their back and waited for her to settle before handing off her bow and staff.

"Goodbye, everyone. See you in two years!" Kagome smiled.

A few hands went up to wave her goodbye. Rin ran back around to stand beside the brothers.

"Are you ready?" Sesshoumaru asked Kagome, who nodded and gripped the reins tighter. "Hold tightly and I will join you in the air in a moment." he said, walking away to the dragon's tail.

"Away!" Sesshoumaru barked to the dragon and they launched into the sky, kicking up the dust and gravel of the training field.

"Stay alert while I return the miko. I will return tonight." Sesshoumaru said to Ryota.

"Of course, my Lord. Safe travels."

"Rin, behave yourself in my absence."

"Of course, milord." she bowed.

He nodded once and gathered his youki beneath himself to launch into the sky after the dragon. The others waited until Sesshoumaru was out of sight before walking slowly back to their respective duties. Soon only the General and his Mate were left gazing at the sky.

"And now we wait." Ryota said to Kouji with a smile.

"He is going to be a handful for the next two years." Kouji said knowingly.

"You know that, and I know it, but how long do you think it will take him to realize it?"

"Years. He is uniquely stubborn, Mate."

Ryota laughed and took Kouji by the hand to return to his duties.

…

The journey back to Edo was silent except for the chattering of the miko's teeth as they reached higher altitudes to cross the mountains of the West.

"Halt!" came the order from the inu and the dragons stopped in midair.

Kagome was confused and then grateful when Sesshoumaru passed her his pelt, draping it around her shoulders. She instantly burrowed into its warmth and tucked Shippou in as well.

"Thank you." she said quietly.

He nodded and resumed flying, pulling the reins of the dragons to follow him.

That was all that was said during the journey back. As the landscape changed, Kagome began to recognize the town she had spent the night in on her journey, the mountains where Kouga and his pack live, the Palace Inuyasha had attacked in his rage, and when the land flattened and the fields widened, Kagome felt dread settle in her heart. They were getting closer.

The forest grew taller and denser beneath them and the clearing surrounding the Bone Eater's Well became visible.

_'Breathe.'_ she reminded herself.

The dark spot in the middle that was the well was silent. Her seals had done their job.

As Sesshoumaru began to descend, he flared his youki several times to alert the monk of his approach. The daiyoukai trusted these humans to receive Kagome and care for her in the coming days.

When Kagome saw Sango and Miroku come running from their house out to the road, she had to squeeze her eyes shut and clench her fists into Sesshoumaru's pelt to keep from crying out. Her heart hammered in her chest.

_'Not yet.'_

When they finally landed, Sesshoumaru did not speak but lifted the kit from her lap and waited for the miko to look at him to give permission. She would not meet his eyes and her aura was tightly concealed. She was straining with the effort of it.

Sango and Miroku ran up to the hill, met Sesshoumaru's eyes, and waited. When he shook his head ever so slightly, they both nodded and Sango ventured a little closer.

Kagome slumped off of the dragon's back and stood silently, refusing to meet anyone's eyes. She heard the approach of feet, the crunching of the dying grass punctuating each step, and watched as Sango's sandals appeared through the wall of tears swimming in her eyes.

"Kagome-chan?"

The miko looked up at Sango and watched her friend smile pitifully, worried and sad but relieved to finally see her. Sango looked the same, in her bold colors and long hair tied back, and Kagome needed something to be the same.

The taijiya was looking her over for damage, she could tell, but when she found nothing visibly wrong, began to reach forward. Over her shoulder, Miroku was watching the exchange, waiting for permission when Kagome could give it. He looked tired and pale but stood tall to show her he was here and would continue to be.

The first touch of Sango's fingers on her arm was featherlight but that was all it took.

And Kagome broke.

...

**AN:** It's a long one. I warned you. Almost twice as long as any other chapter I've ever posted. But everything is tied up and she's back home. I hope everyone is still well and happy, and I hope you enjoy it! Next time, the first year of separation! (Or part of it anyway. I do tend to get long-winded.) Please let me know what you think. What you liked, what was weird, whatever. I love hearing what you think of the story now that it's getting more involved.


	24. Chapter 24 - Separation:Year 1:Winter

**Author's Note:** I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

So the separation years are going to be broken up into each season, one for each year, for a total of eight chapters. They're most likely going to be shorter but I promise they're important. The first few with Kagome are pretty rough, I won't lie.

Updated 06/20/2020: Added a new middle section for Shippou's point of view. It was mentioned to me that I didn't address at all how she got better and how Shippou was dealing with her being so ill. Truthfully, I took that section out because I thought maybe it was too much. This section is sad AF so I took part of it out to spare you but I agree with my reviewer that it's needed to so I tucked it back in. Sorry in advance. It ain't any happier.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 24 – The Separation: Year 1: Winter**

Three days after returning Kagome to Edo, back at the Western Palace…

Tomomi sat on a wide bench in the sun of the courtyard, stitching together one of the last few pieces of her future Lady's wardrobe. A wide swath of cloth was spread beneath her to keep the delicate piece out of the dirt. The young shikayoukai squinted applying threads laced with beading in just the right way to add the finishing touches to a silken mural of a cascading waterfall. She paused and looked out over the cloud-dotted valley below, thinking of Kagome.

_'She will look so lovely in this when she returns. I hope she is well.'_

"What is this?" came the gentle question over her left shoulder.

The maid startled and heat instantly filled her face as she looked back down to her work, pulling a thread through the fabric the full length of her arm.

"I am finishing the last of Kagome-sama's formal attire, Kenshin-san. The sun was pleasant and silk does not mind the cold."

"No, it does not. May I join you?"

"Of course."

The healer sat down next to her on the bench, being careful of her work, and cleared his throat.

"I have news. Would you hear it?" He cocked his shaggy head to the side and waited for her to catch his happy, magenta eyes.

"Do you? You spoke with him today?" Impossibly large, dark green orbs stared up at him with hope and fear.

"I did. He has agreed. We are free to- **Oof!**"

Silk forgotten and fluttering to the ground, Tomomi leapt across the bench and toppled Kenshin to the grass below, kissing him soundly.

"Tomomi- **Mmm!**" She kissed him again. "Tomomi, please! There are others about!"

"What care I for others when you are here?" she smiled brightly. "And to be mine!"

"You are surprisingly much less reserved than I realized!" Kenshin laughed, giving up and holding her close.

"We will have our entire lives to discover such things now." Tomomi beamed above him.

Their laughter filled the dead and empty courtyard for several minutes, drawing the attention of the other servants but two other individuals in particular. They met each other at the base of the stairs, where Sesshoumaru was coming from the small meeting room and Ryota was leaving the study.

"Gave your word then, did you?" Ryota asked wistfully from the cover of the overhang, watching youth at its finest through the two intended youkai.

"I was on my way to you. And yes, I did. His request was a simple one." Sesshoumaru said, tucking his arms in his sleeves.

"They all thought you'd say 'no,' given their heritage."

"They are a good match. I wish for the brothers to both be free to make their own choices. Differences do not preclude happiness, General."

"My Lord?"

"Hm?"

"In the future, remember you said that."

"General?"

Ryota sighed. "Nothing. Come on, I have the new troops awaiting your inspection. The skirmishes at the eastern border require our immediate attention but I don't want to leave you at less than half strength when we go."

"No. This Sesshoumaru will handle their insolence personally this time."

"Poor bastards." Ryota shook his head.

"And this evening, I leave the West in your charge."

"Hunting?"

"Hm."

Sesshoumaru's answer was quiet and distracted. His Lord looked tired. Exhausted. The kumadaiyoukai expected that he might take some time away from the West to recover from Inuyasha's death but so far, he had not. Even youkai have their limits and this one was approaching his.

"Take your time, Sesshoumaru. Camp. Rest. We shall be fine. You have much to consider."

Sesshoumaru nodded, grateful for his understanding, and left for his own quarters once again. Climbing the stairs, his sharp hearing caught the gentle humming of a familiar tune. The miko had sung such a song. Apparently, his ward had been fond of it and was carrying the melody in her own room almost exactly.

_'Her influence reaches nearly all beings she encounters. How odd. She has a unique skill for disruption.'_

If he inhaled deeply enough, her scent still permeated the halls. It had been only days since she left the West but she was universally missed. Her presence had sparked an excitement for the coming years in his staff and in Rin.

_'Am I allowed such feelings regarding her return to the West?'_

So much of the miko's past was wrapped around her love of his brother. His dead brother. But her future was bound entirely to him, to the Lord of the West and all that title entailed. Reconciling the emotions of stepping into his brother's place as the caregiver for this human woman was difficult. Any excitement he might have felt at finally being bound to another, and spared the nagging of the Cardinal families to find a Mate, felt indecent simply because of who she had been before: Inuyasha's miko.

Aside from her past, she was the strangest choice for a Mate he could possibly have imagined. Not a weak, wealthy princess of a human Lord, offered like a lamb to sacrifice in return for his goodwill. Not a demoness of noble birth from a great family with power and history to speak of. Those scenarios had played over in his mind for centuries. No, his Mate-to-be was a clumsy, belligerent, opinionated priestess, of all things, who was expected to fill the shoes of a great demoness in her short lifetime. The first Lady of the West in over three hundred years. It was preposterous. It was strange and incongruent with the rest of his entire existence.

It was exciting.

He slid open Rin's door and waited for her to notice his presence before informing her of his plans.

"Rin, I am leaving for the night. Mind your tutors tomorrow and sleep well."

"Of course, Sesshoumaru-sama. May I-" she shook her head. "Never mind. I shall see you tomorrow."

"What is it?"

"Forgive me, milord. It is nothing."

"If it was truly nothing, you would not have attempted to ask." She smiled at the raise of a single, silver brow. "Speak."

"May Rin… hug you goodnight? Only, Kagome-sama was so free with her hugs and I miss her. And Shippou… And her hugs."

_'And now she is spoiling Rin even from far away.'_

But her bond with the miko was important and he was glad for it. If Kagome's love and protection until death came at the cost of hugs demanded from Rin, it was a price he could afford to pay.

"Very well."

Rin didn't wait for him to change his mind and instead launched herself at him, squeezing his middle tightly and nuzzling her cheek against his chest. His hands rested on her small back and he realized she had grown once again.

"Thank you." she whispered against him.

"Now, sleep." He pulled her away and met her eyes.

"Goodnight, Sesshoumaru-sama."

His reward, her smile, was like the sun and he found himself not entirely sorry the miko might have changed things between Rin and himself. It was common for pack to embrace and engage in physical familiarity, after all.

Rin taken care of and watched over for the night, he walked to his own rooms and removed the light clothing he had worn all day in favor of… nothing. Hunting did not require clothes. And the feeling was freeing.

Divesting himself of clothing was also leaving behind the need to hide that which was natural and normal. Clothes were universal but he, in particular, appreciated sparing himself the curious and lecherous glances of others in this two-legged form. Sesshoumaru had been made familiar with the scent of arousal, both male and female, since his adolescence. None would have dared approach him while his father drew breath, but he knew it as pup well enough anyway.

There was a time in his younger years, he had refused to take such a human form in favor of remaining the much more impressive silver inu he truly was. Finally, after cutting his teeth on one of the central pillars of the gallery some time in his second century, his mother had put her foot down. He learned to appreciate both forms in the years that followed, both the benefits and detriments. Not that Kikuko hadn't shadowed him without rest for the several years after to make sure he did not embarrass himself again.

His mother. Would she be present for the meeting next year? For the Bonding ceremony? Could she recover from her own disappointment and realize that the human would not live overly long and then she could plot and plan once again without worry? Surely this situation could never repeat itself. He made a decision then to repair the breach in their civility to each other at some point in the next few years. They were the only two left now who knew. Well, he, his mother, and the miko.

_'Enough of this delaying.'_ he thought.

Dashing back down the stairs with excitement boiling in his veins, Sesshoumaru dropped his guard and unshielded his aura entirely. Youki buffeted the entire courtyard without any effort from him. As the pale blur that was the Lord of the West reached the edge of the low wall, he rocketed into the sky. Clawing free of the oppression of the much smaller form, his aura exploded and Sesshoumaru transformed into a monstrous silver dog, roaring his freedom into the dark sky.

He heard the boisterous cheers of the soldiers on the Fortress side of the mountain follow his howl and turned in the direction of his men to howl again, showing his appreciation for their loyalty. His heart lifted when another familiar howl joined the air. The howl of another silver inu.

**_'Ren.'_**

He would leave the pup to himself on the south side nearer the Fortress and continue on his way north.

One day, he hoped the howl that returned might sound much more like his own. One day, he might have a pack to hunt with again. His heart thudded and clenched at the thought. He had waited long enough to share his knowledge and this burden of leadership with his heir. A pup of his own. Perhaps, the timeline could be accelerated for his visit to the kitsune village. By the summer, any of their own kits would be born and he could make a contract with a willing female. Yes, it was past time.

…

Later that same night…

Kagome wasn't sure how she arrived in Sango and Miroku's house, and she couldn't remember being tucked into a bed or being dressed in one of Sango's green yukatas, but that was how she woke. Her face, eyes, and lungs were sore. Head pounding and stomach empty, Kagome felt a gnawing hunger but no urge to cure it as she rolled her weakened body up and looked around.

The dark and silence of the early morning in the house was unsettling. The family hadn't begun to stir and wouldn't for hours yet if the total darkness outside was any indication of the time. Kagome walked quietly through the common room, through the thick bamboo curtain, and out onto the silent road. Without shoes or another layer beneath her yukata, the walk on the packed dirt of the main thoroughfare was cold and rough. Kagome's hands grew numb as she reached the rise of the hill to her own house. Their house. Red and swollen steel blue eyes gazed across the field at what should have been an abandoned dwelling.

Only it wasn't.

There was amber light shining through the windows and through the cracks in the screen across the door. Her heart and her steps quickened. She slipped on numb feet through the grass wet with overnight dew. Only a few yards away now. She would tell the squatters off and board everything up to make sure no one came back. The house wasn't empty for good. She would return to it one day when she was stronger; whole again.

Throwing back the curtain, feeling the rush of heat from inside the room, Kagome froze. A silver head topped with flickering triangular ears tipped in her direction. His broad shoulders turned toward her and he crouched to rise. Her heart stopped.

"Hey, idiot. Where have you been?"

The blood drained from her face.

"_No…_"

He stood fully and stepped toward her, red Fire Rat armor rasping as he walked, golden eyes flickering in the firelight. Kagome backed away.

"No! No, you're dead!"

She held her arms out to keep him away but felt the warmth of his chest press against her chilled hands.

"Do I look dead to you, wench? What is wrong with you?"

He was grabbing her arms now. A shiver wracked her body and she lost her balance. Weak legs failed and Kagome's knees hit the wood floor. Delicate hands clutched her ears and she squeezed her eyes tightly closed in an attempt to block out the phantom.

"Get away from me! This isn't real… I watched- watched you die. Oh kami, make it stop!"

She slammed her hands on the floor but gasped when they slid out and away from her body, causing her chest to graze the floor. Glancing down, the floor of the house was now dark, shining, and sticky. Her hands lifted from the floor with a wet sound, the dark liquid dripping down her forearms as she held them up, horrified, in front of her face. Blood. The smell of it filled her nose.

"Why is this happening to me?" she sobbed.

Arms fell limp to the floor at her sides and suddenly Inuyasha laid prone and broken before her, just as he had died. His ghost was mercifully silent.

But Kagome screamed.

Out on the road, Sango and Miroku heard a shriek of terror come from Kagome's dark house and they locked eyes then sprinted down the road as fast as they could. Miroku got there first. Throwing open the tattered curtain, he took in the collapsed miko, sprawled across the cold floor.

"Sango, she's in here!" Miroku bellowed back out the door. "Kami in heaven, she's frozen! Hold on, Kagome."

His voice wavered and hands shook as he took off his own robe and covered her. Sango ran in the door just after and dropped to the floor to check her friend. She was pale and her breathing was shallow.

"Oh no, her fever's gotten worse! Miroku, go get Kaede!"

Heavy footsteps back out the door rattled in the frigid ear pressed to the floor and for a second, Kagome forced her eyes to open and saw the worried mahogany of her friend's filled with tears.

"Oh Kagome, I'm so sorry. How did I let this happen again?"

"Sango, tell him- tell him to go away." the miko whispered, swallowing dryly. "I tried. I tried… to help but I couldn't."

"Tell who?"

"I couldn't. I was- wasn't… _enough…_"

The miko's consciousness ebbed and she slipped heavily back into sleep, going limp. Sango stroked the sweat-dampened hair from her friend's brow and felt her eyes burn.

"Oh Kagome, please come back. We cannot lose you, too."

Sango pulled Kagome's limp and feverish body into her lap and cradled her head gently against her breast.

"Please come back." Sango whispered, tears slipping down her cheeks.

It had been three days of fitful sleep and tears and nearly forcing her to eat. Of yelling and raging. Of intense fever and nightmares. She was fading and they were watching helplessly as she died by small measures every day. It was getting harder and harder to convince Shippou she would eventually be okay because they didn't believe it themselves anymore.

"Sango!" came the yell through the door. "I've got Kaede!"

Miroku crouched down and let Kaede slip off of his back. His desperation for haste had convinced the old woman to swallow her pride and allow him to carry her. Sango looked up from the floor with tears running down her face and Miroku's heart sank again.

"She fell asleep again, Miroku. She's getting worse."

"What is young Kagome doing out here all alone?" the old miko whispered, kneeling down beside them.

"She snuck out in the night." Sango cried. "I did not hear her- I was sure she was still- Can you help her?"

"She needs to stay with me from this night on. I will board the door." Kaede said firmly to them both. "Keep the kitsune in your home until she is better. I cannot say if she will wake from this."

"She will. She must. She's too strong to succumb to grief." Miroku said determinedly, wrapping Kagome tightly in his robe, lifting his friend from Sango's lap, and starting for the door. "We have been through too much to lose her, too."

"Careful. Carry her back to my house and then to sleep with you. Ye both look like hell."

Miroku was out in the road and disappearing into the darkness before the women had left the porch.

"Thank you, Kaede. Whatever we can do to help, please tell us. I am the limit of my knowledge. I have never seen grief like this."

"This is a trial she must find her own way through. We can only keep her steady and light her way." Kaede sighed sadly.

Out on the road, Miroku was not giving up.

"You must find a way through this, Kagome." He shook her limp body in frustration and fear. "Damn it all! I will not bury you, too!"

…

Three days later…

Shippou padded through the forest, searching for any passable winter vegetables, fungus, or roots he could find. It was boring sitting in Sango and Miroku's house hour after hour, wondering how his mother was doing. He shook his auburn head. He knew how Kagome was doing.

Kaede tried to be vague and wrapped his mother in extra blankets when he came to visit but the kit knew she was losing the fight against the fever. She smiled only for his benefit and it was a lie. She didn't smell of happiness, that bright natural juniper of her excitement or the shades of sweet jasmine that told him how much she loved him without words. It was all gone. She smelled only of salt and sadness and the bitter scents of her humanity now. He almost dreaded going to see her.

The light was leaving her eyes. Kagome was giving up.

The initial outpouring of grief had been overwhelming and the young kit had watched as all of the sorrow he thought she'd stuffed away came pouring out. He felt guilt for having disappeared on her in anger at the Fortress. She definitely hadn't forgotten Inuyasha. Shippou began to wish she'd forget again. Anything other than this heartbroken and decrepit version of his mother would be better.

On the second day back, Kagome had quietly asked to walk through the woods alone after a warm meal and a bath, but when night fell and she hadn't returned, her friends abandoned respect for her solitude and went searching. They had found her leaning intimately into the Sacred Tree, one arm slung through the gnarled roots at the bottom and one clutching over her heart, tears streaked down her unconscious face. She was shaking with cold as Miroku carried her home. That night, the nightmares started.

Drained by loss, the illness had taken hold of her frail body and refused to leave. The fever was quick and hot and never ebbed. She tossed and turned, mumbling things he didn't understand and then a few occasionally he did. Sango let him keep a cool cloth on her head. She smiled and hummed quietly sometimes. She begged someone to help her save him and cried when they refused. She screamed when he died, over and over again. Eventually they stopped letting him help and tried to distract him instead. Sango had taken to sitting next to her at all hours and holding a hand over her mouth so Shippou couldn't hear her plead with the phantom of Inuyasha over and over again in her fits. He had heard anyway.

The shaking was next. Since she didn't ever really wake up and eat after the fever set in, her friends had taken turns feeding her as best they could. Once in a while, she woke up and chewed a few bites but never enough. She couldn't keep food down as of today and without strength, she would die.

Back in the forest, Sango found Shippou a few hours after lunch and knelt down. The twilight was a bright apricot shade of orange and the bare trees cast long dark shadows in uneven rows on the forest floor. Shippou stopped foraging when he heard her approach but didn't turn around.

"Are you ready to come home? Dinner is almost ready." Sango said sweetly.

"Yeah. Give me a little longer. I smell something new over here."

"Okay." She watched him rifle half-heartedly through the roots of a young tree. "Are you alright?"

"Yep. Just need to be alone for a while. I'll be fine."

He felt Sango lay her warm hand on his back and he flinched.

"But Shippou, are you not as affected as Kagome? Are you sure you are alright?"

He nodded. Sango was silent for a moment then decided to press.

"Have you found peace with Inuyasha's death then?"

His small chest began heaving in and out, and he shook his head.

"Then why stay out here alone? Why not sit with her and grieve together? She needs you."

He swallowed and answered her with a thick voice, not turning around still. She respected his need for privacy and sat down on the ground behind him.

"I can't. I don't feel the same way she does about it. Inuyasha was good for her but I loved him like a brother. She loved him as a Mate. It's different. I'll always miss some stuff about him, and I'm sorry, but I know how to deal with it."

"Then you could help her. Why not be there for her now?"

He pointed a clawed finger towards the village.

"**That's** not Kagome. I don't know if she'll ever come back… and I have to be ready."

"What do you mean?"

"This isn't the first time."

"First time for what?"

He faced her then, tiny fox feet crunching the fallen leaves as he turned, and the tears spilled over onto his cheeks when he blinked up at her.

"I've buried my parents before. I know what comes next. I don't want to watch her die."

Sango got angry then, scooped him up, and held him in front of her face.

"Kagome is not dead. She is sick and grieving. And **you** are giving up before she has. She is fighting for life against an illness none of us has seen before, made worse by her sorrow, and **you** are hiding in the woods out of fear."

_'You are hiding.'_

Sesshoumaru had said that to him, too. Maybe that's all he did when things got hard. It's what they'd all told him to do when the battles had gotten dangerous. Maybe that's all he was good at.

Sango saw his faraway look and called him back from whatever thoughts he was having. She knew it was hard for him. She understood intimately how losing parents felt and Shippou had lost more than she. But if Sango needed to make him angry to prod him into being strong for Kagome, like her friend had been so many times for all of their sakes, Sango would do it.

"Shippou? Kagome needs you. Maybe it is unfair of her to need your help but she does. We have tried and we are not getting through to her. You are young but you are the only one who knows what she has endured the past several weeks. There is something you are both not telling us, and we accept that, but it is past time for you to take your place as her son and make her see that life is worth living."

"And what if I can't?" he said, new tears coming.

"Then you can be at peace if she does not recover, knowing you tried everything, tried your hardest and she was not able to heal from her illness. If you stay out here, and she dies with no one but Kaede for company, how will you feel?"

He sobbed in her arms. "Wuh-worse." Sango saw the moment he decided to grow up reflected in his bright green eyes and he furrowed his brows and stared right back at her. "Let me go! I have to go!"

And he pushed her away and bolted for the village.

"Good boy." Sango smiled.

That night, Kagome ate. Shippou made sure of it.

The next day, he fed her again, reminding her he was here and he needed her. That night, her fever finally broke and she spoke for the first time in nearly a week.

"Thank you." was all she could manage to him.

"I love you, Momma."

The scent of jasmine filled his nose as she laid a shaky palm against his cheek.

…

Two months later…

Kagome's feet shuffled through the spiky, dry grass and carried her through the small maze of worn and sun-bleached stones, past a few newer memorials, farther back and all the way to the newest. She laid her staff down next to her on the grass. It was not a weapon right now, but a cane. The young miko was recovering but slowly. The climb up to the shrine had taken her well over an hour but she was determined to do it alone. This new, fever-ravaged body she found herself in was weak and shaky but Kagome was determined to live, whatever life it would be now.

The dark stone nameplate was still blank but expertly cut, framed with sharp corners and set on a base of contrasting lighter gray stone. Kagome knelt down in the twilight and ran her cold fingers down the small, frigid coal-black pillar. Incense that burned to ash long ago was left piled in a fragile, painted dish beside a wreath of small flowers that were wilted but still held some of their color.

_'Thanks, kids…'_ Even her trembling grin still felt weak.

Sango and Miroku's children must have scoured the forest for all of the petaled weeds left alive just to honor their Uncle Inu.

She stared at the blank stone and felt her heart squeeze painfully in her chest. Her breath came out in steaming pants, curling around her face before disappearing into the air.

"What am I gonna do without you?" Fresh tears dripped down her face and onto the stone as her thoughts picked up speed and intensity. "How can I stay here? What does my coming back here mean anymore? I don't belong here without you. I don't belong anywhere now. I can't go back home because I made a promise. I can't stay here because I see you ah- around every corner. I keep wuh- waiting for you to come running from the forest by our house. **Damn it!** How could you leave me here alone?" Her fists pounded on the cold ground. "What am I supposed to do now?!"

"Ye must find new purpose, child."

Kagome jumped and turned around to find the gentle, one-eyed gaze of the elder miko. The young woman scowled and turned back to the silent grave. When she spoke again, her voice was still thick with emotion.

"What purpose? Stay here and be a chaste, pious miko for the rest of my life? Travel as a lone woman during one of the most dangerous and divisive periods in our history? Or maybe I should go back home and try to pretend like I haven't battled the real-life monsters we tell campfire stories about to scare little kids? Get a cell phone and go to college and pretend I'm any fucked up version of 'normal.'" She scoffed. "I'm not fit for anything anymore."

"You are. Ye are brave, loving, selfless, and valued. Your grief prevents ye from seeing it but all is not lost. It will lessen over time."

"Time." Kagome breathed a hollow laugh. "Time is a bastard. I can't see the reason for being dragged back here. I couldn't save Inuyasha in the end. We stopped Magatsuhi, ended the curse of the jewel, but now what? Why am I still here? I thought it was to be with the man I loved. **Loved.** I can't love him anymore. I can't even do that." She sobbed once and let her head fall back, longer ebony hair touching the ground at her back. "I wish now I'd forgotten everything and been left the hell alone!"

"You do not truly wish that. Your companions do not wish that. They need you and wish desperately for you to heal. Your kit needs you as well. Should ye go back, he would be left motherless once again."

"He'll be taken care of. I made him promise me. But no, I can't go back anyway. At least, not for good."

She didn't elaborate on who the 'him' was and it was the first time Sesshoumaru had crossed her mind in weeks. No, she couldn't go back to Tokyo for good. Rin would still die. She had made a promise. But she hadn't told any of her friends about what was going to happen to her in two years. There hadn't been a good time, and it didn't change anything.

More and more, Kagome felt like it might be a relief to be somewhere else. Inuyasha was everywhere and nowhere here. She kept waiting for him to come back only to remember in the next moment that he never would. It was torture seeing all of the special places they had kissed, held hands, and promised their lives to each other day after day. The shrine, the forest, hell, even the road were all whispering painful memories. She would never be free of them as long she stayed in Edo.

…

The same time, at the southeastern border of the West…

Two armored legions stared each other down across an open and rocky plain.

"Stand down and your lives are spared!" Sesshoumaru bellowed. "Continue to press your claim to the lands of the West and you will die! The choice is yours!"

"We will never bow to demons!" the Lord of the Lowlands yelled back. His armor clattered around him as he raised an arm and pointed accusingly at the youkai before him. "What claim have you over this land? There is nothing here! It belongs to no one!"

"My claim is centuries old and you have trespassed for the last time. Your forebears were warned, your father was warned, and my patience grows thin. You and your men may return to whatever squalor you call home! I care not, but you will not remain here."

"That's it, you pale bastard! See you in Hell!"

The General charged from several yards away but never had a chance. Sesshoumaru's blade was flicked clean of the blood before the human's head met his body on the ground. The inudaiyoukai turned to address the stilled human army behind their dead Lord.

"You do not have to suffer the fate of your leaders! Return home! This land was won by my father long before your kind crawled from the mud. Remind your betters not to return or they will be met with the same fate! This Sesshoumaru, Lord of the West, swears it."

Slowly, but without further protest, a few of the humans took charge and herded the others to begin packing up. Sesshoumaru turned his back on them and was met with the bored pale blue eyes of General Ryota.

"Well, that went well."

"They would not see reason. You disagree with the course of action?"

"No, I agree. It was a shame they refused to meet us on the field. The soldiers were ready to try their strength."

"Unnecessary loss of life, General. The humans remain outmatched and always will. It is hardly a challenge to snap a twig beneath your boot."

"I will not tell Lady Kagome you said that."

"The miko? She knows the limits of her strength."

"Ah, but do you?" Ryota raised an eyebrow and Sesshoumaru only turned and walked away.

"Hn."

Sesshoumaru turned his silver head to the sky and sniffed. The first few flakes of snow fell around them. It was time to wait out the winter. Nothing else need be done until spring.

The world retreated into silence and waited for the sun.

…

**AN:** So, like I said, shorter. Kagome's moments are gonna be rough through the first year. The second year might look better. Grief is a bitch and I feel like I can't do it justice if everything turns all rainbows and lollipops before she's really worked through it. You can't start a new life under the black cloud of the old one. Spring sees her unseal the well and go back to modern Tokyo. Stay tuned! And let me know what you think, if you have a second!


	25. Chapter 25 - Separation:Year 1:Spring 1

**Author's Note:** I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

**PLEASE READ:** I hate to do it to you, but I added a new middle section in Ch24 from Shippou's point of view. It was mentioned to me that I didn't address at all how she got better and how Shippou was dealing with her being so ill. Truthfully, I took that section out because I thought maybe it was too much. That section is sad AF so I took part of it out to spare you but I agree with my reviewer that it's needed to so I tucked it back in. Sorry in advance. It ain't any happier but I reference that section in this chapter.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 25 – The Separation: Year 1: Spring: Part I**

In Edo, early spring…

The new green of the grass-covered hill was still short and fragile. The wildflowers that would cover the hillside in a few more weeks were still sleeping and the forests surrounding the village were dotted with the pale green leaves of a new spring. A chilly breeze swept through, sending the newborn grass into motion, and Kagome shivered as she walked laboriously up the hill. Miroku, who was walking behind her, reached to unclasp his robe but she stopped him with a hand, knowing his intentions and tired of being fawned over.

"Don't. I'm fine." she said sternly, walking determinedly forward.

The monk sighed. "Kagome, you are not entirely well. The illness is gone, and some of your strength has returned, but you have a long time yet before you are recovered."

"Just leave it, okay? I'm not dying, it's just chilly."

Kagome couldn't deal with his overprotective need to smother her right now. She was concentrating on something else entirely. She took a few more steps forward and caught sight of their destination as the pair crested the hill. The ample sleeves of her white kosode fluttered in the breeze and, paired with the scarlet hakama, the robes of her profession hid her still slight frame as she faced down one of her biggest remaining fears.

_'Breathe. Keep breathing.'_ she panted, mentally and physically.

"Kagome, if you are not ready…" came the cautious voice of Miroku from behind her, watching as her body grew tense.

"No," she shook her head, "I need to do this. I need to know."

She leaned her pale hands on the Bone Eater's Well and took in the mass of sealing sutras, frayed at the edges by the weather of the last six months. The power of the well was there but dormant. It felt ancient and cavernous, ready to swallow her whole. Kagome lifted her hands away from the cool wood and wondered why she had never been afraid of it before. The young miko could feel the energy shifting and swelling beneath her seals like the ocean at high tide trying to breach a cliff. The small strips of paper, painted with sacred words, had done their job.

But now that the worst of the nightmares had passed and she was rebuilding her fever-wracked body, Kagome wanted to see her Tokyo family. To face this last trial in her recovery. Her mother would understand that she was trying to overcome her grief, not just live through it, and Mariko Higurashi might be able to help her daughter find a new way forward. Her family here in Edo had seen her at her worst, and refused now to let her out of their sight or give her peace. She was grateful for their help but growing tired of their constant fussing and following.

"Very well." the monk nodded. "Then I will help you. Be careful."

"Afraid I'll hurt myself on the deadly paper?" she said sarcastically.

"You know as well as I that you do not yet have your strength back." he reminded her again. "I will pull the boards free. You break the sutras."

"Yes, O wise and controlling one." she said ruefully, sighing.

Miroku clenched his jaw and let it go. Kagome was healed in body but not in mind. The carefree, optimistic girl of three years ago had been replaced over the winter with an oft-bitter, sniping realist in the wake of her loss. It was not a change for the better. Now that the worst of the heartache might have passed, the miko filled the void left by love with condescension and sarcasm that was directed, indiscriminately, at nearly everyone around her. It was an overcorrection her friends would be happy to see fade away. For now, they surmised that Kagome had shuttered her once open and giving heart to protect the raw wounds she was still healing.

Today was a big step, though, and Sango had been pushing Kagome to visit the well since the weather warmed. Something had to change soon or the younger woman was going to find herself faced with the truth of her attitude and a harsh awakening, grief-stricken or not.

"Will she be surprised to see you?" Miroku asked, lifting the edges of the first boards with a grunt.

"Probably, given that she assumes every time I leave that that's the last time she'll ever see me." Kagome finished sadly.

"Take your time and do not return until you are satisfied. Shippou has gone back to school now so we should not expect him back until summer, correct?"

"That's usually how it goes, and he knows I'm going home for a while." Kagome sighed and her true nature peeked through the sorrow for a moment. "But keep an eye out for me, okay? I don't want him to feel like I'm leaving him. Even though I technically am. Again."

Kagome was quiet for a moment but then her deep, shuddering breath and heavy lean on the lip of the well was enough to cause Miroku to stop and walk around to her. He laid a large hand on her back and rubbed slow circles.

"You are not. You will never be well again until you see the ones who can help you the most."

Kagome flinched when he said it so easily. It was entirely her fault for making him, making them all, feel that way. In her mind, she vowed not to come back until she could admit to them openly how much they had helped, how dearly she had needed them, and how much she loved them all. Her true emotions were still caged behind a wall of grief and some other indefinable and unbreachable feeling. Maybe the key to unlocking her inner peace lay somewhere in her first home. She hoped it did because feeling hopeless was taking its toll.

"It's not that- You guys have been great. I'm-" she coughed and it brought tears to her eyes. "Sorry-" Miroku told her he understood, not to stress her lungs, but she shook her head and dove for his chest, hugging him tightly. "I'm so sorry I've been a mess. I can't stop feeling like this. Sometimes it feels like I'll never be me again. I can't- I just don't understand why I don't feel even a little bit like myself again."

Miroku hugged her back and rested his chin atop her head.

"We know. We all know. We all deal differently with loss. Yours is one of worst. Your mother will understand in a much more personal way that I can hope to. Perhaps this trip is what you need to find peace. I hope it is, Kagome." He cleared his throat and his voice took a more lighthearted tone. "Sango understands as well. We do hope that eventually you will see less of a need to use language like you do around the children but for now, you are allowed. But only for now."

Kagome barked a laugh and pulled away, wiping her eyes.

"I'm so sorry. I'll teach them better words when I'm better."

"My wife, in particular, would appreciate that. Now come on. Let's get you home."

And they both got back to work.

"Besides," Kagome arched an eyebrow, "you have my one-man army to keep you company while I'm gone."

"That is a question I still need answered. Remind me once again why Sesshoumaru-sama sent a soldier of the Western army here to stay indefinitely in your house?"

"Oh, Inaba's not that bad. He's nice. And very quiet." Kagome shrugged. "But I told you about the assassin that came after me while I was there?" Miroku nodded. "Sesshoumaru thinks that they were only after me but still doesn't know who sent them. If another comes here looking for me, you'll be glad he's here. I've watched the Western soldiers training and they're definitely capable enough. Not that you two aren't scary enough on your own."

It wasn't all a lie. Sesshoumaru **didn't** know who sent the assassin. The soldier **was** here to guard the village from anyone who might attack, but he was also here to report back to his Lord should someone from the North come sniffing around while Kagome was still in Edo. Inaba and Sesshoumaru also knew that Kagome was leaving for her family home and would be absent for some time, but neither needed to know where she was going. Kagome planned to keep it that way until she could discuss her origins with Sesshoumaru personally if, or when, the time came.

Miroku and Sango didn't know about her impending return to the West yet, either. She wasn't ashamed of her promise to keep Rin alive but neither was she ready to face the many questions they were sure to have. The West and her days there were still wrapped up tightly with her grief. Kagome hoped some time away with her mother, brother, and grandfather would be enough to heal her heart and give her some strength to talk it over with them.

The secrets were piling up, Kagome lamented, and sooner or later everyone would need to know everything. Just not yet. Miroku broke her mental guilt trip with an observation.

"It seems terribly out of character for the Lord of the West to care what happens in our village." Miroku wondered.

"Inuyasha was here." she shrugged. "He never needed to worry about its safety before. Now that's he's gone, and Inuyasha made Sesshoumaru promise to keep the village safe, Inaba is the answer." she said easily, surprised at how true it was. "Aside from that, he's different than we all realized. Sesshoumaru, I mean." she finished curiously.

She had learned so much more about him. Kagome understood a fraction more about him now that time and distance had given her brain license to sort through all the new discoveries. **This** version of Sesshoumaru she was beginning to understand.

His loss, so much like hers, had broken him.

His father's madness had hardened him.

His mother's grief had matured him.

And Inuyasha's death had enlightened him.

He was much more than she realized. But who would he be with her? Who would she be with him? Who **could** she be? So many questions and no answers. He had said he would consider visiting when Rin came for the summer but to what end? How was she supposed to act around a man she was permanently bound to while still mourning the loss of her husband?

Five hundred years in the future, the Sesshoumaru she had met at her family home was much different: more calculating, surprisingly sociable, and decidedly less honest. Would that Sesshoumaru continue to feign interest in her family shrine now that the damage was done? Would he show his face to her again, knowing he had intentionally misled them both? Her anger began to rise and her heart pounded at the idea of meeting him again. Miroku nearly caused her to jump when he continued and broke her train of thought.

"You are right. He did seem oddly somber and reflective when he came here the first time. Perhaps, the battle to defeat Naraku made comrades of us all." the monk said hopefully.

"Or something like that." Kagome said quietly, not ready to discuss Sesshoumaru openly just yet. "There. That's the last one."

"Here as well." Miroku tossed the last board to the side and brushed the splinters from his staff. "Take your time. There is no rush."

Kagome nodded, feeling the power begin to swell within the well.

Too much power and much too quickly.

"Oh no…"

It bubbled up from within, a sky-blue cascade of energy overflowing from the depths in glowing tendrils. Kagome was overwhelmed instantly, feeling the dizzying pull of the time shift as several of the coils wrapped around her, pulling her forward and into the well. Her hands grabbed for the edge but she lost her grip and was dragged down.

_'This is just like the first time! I'm not ready!'_

She was gasping at the sensation of falling and felt her chest and eyes burn with fear.

"No!"

"Kagome!" Miroku called, running back around the well to pull her back up.

"Miroku! No!" she yelled from the depths, a pale hand outstretched and then suddenly engulfed in light and hidden from him completely.

His hand met empty air as he tried to grab her and in the same instant, the light was gone and Kagome was gone with it.

"Damn it!" he swore, banging his open palm on the lip of the well.

…

Another day, more guard duty. As much as Shippou was ready for Kagome to return, this sitting in the dark wellhouse day after day had to stop soon. Maybe he could convince Sesshoumaru to take a day… No, it wouldn't work for her to meet him first. They agreed on that much at least. His musings were cut short when power filtered through the wellhouse, rising from the damp ground at the bottom and raising the hair on Shippou's neck. The first few crackling and staticky arcs of power skittering across the railing were a foreshock. A phone was whipped out of a pocket as the light grew from within.

"She's coming back! The well's reopened and it's working. No, no, she's not here yet- Wait." The familiar scents of wood ashes, camelias, the sharp tang of vinegar, and the sting of reiki exploded from the well. "Shit. Yes, she is. Call you when you're clear, Pop. Yes, fuck, I know! It slipped out! Give it up, old man!"

Shippou jammed the device back into his pocket and leaned over the well. The power was billowing upward, causing his small red ponytail to flutter behind him and he shielded his eyes with a forearm against the intensity of it. Her scent was growing stronger, blown throughout the wellhouse with the force of the energy rising from the well. His heart pounded for the first time in decades. His mother, the one he truly remembered, was returning to the present.

Finally, the blue light began to dim and the well house quieted. All except for the moaning cries of Kagome, his mother, collapsed at the bottom of the well.

"I wasn't ready!" came her broken voice. "I thought I was but I'm not. Take me back! Oh gods, what have I done? Take me back!" she wept quietly in the dark and dirty well.

"Here we go…" Shippou whispered to himself, the weight of his new responsibility finally sinking in.

The grown kitsune kicked his denim covered legs over the side and dropped, landing neatly next to her in a low crouch. She screamed and backed away against the dusty wall.

"Get away from me!" Kagome screamed, raising her fists. "Leave me alone and get out of here right now! Help!"

She knew yelling did nothing. It might be midday, but no one would hear her out here at the bottom of the well. The stranger was rising slowly from his crouch across from her and she couldn't make out anything specific about him in the pitch dark of the well. Her heart hammered in her chest and adrenaline kicked it. She'd give him hell for as long as she could.

"It's okay, Kagome. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to help you." came a smooth, adult, male voice.

Shippou help up placating hands in front of him and Kagome tried to look him up and down with her human eyes in the near pitch-dark, assessing the danger with an angry and tear-stained face.

"I bet you are, asshole. I don't need help. I have nothing you could possibly want. Please… please just go away." she whispered, backing against the wall.

"I'm not here to hurt you. Here, this might help. Just don't scream, okay? Oh no, shit, that's not what I meant. I'm not gonna touch you. Just watch, okay? That's not better… Oh, screw it!"

He'd had five whole centuries to think about this moment and just royally fucked it up.

Kagome watched as the man's outline began to shiver at the edges into something… else. Youki flooded the well. Kagome gasped. There was a demon in the wellhouse!

_'Why now? I just want to go home! Who the hell…?'_

"Wait…" Kagome marveled, grinning madly and recognizing the stranger's youki without a doubt. Her relief was instant. "Oh, thank the kami…"

Shippou smiled and closed his eyes as he transformed. Fuck that glamour. He hated every minute of it.

The blue flame of his foxfire was edged with gold and framed his body as the outpouring of youki melted the concealing spell away. A billowing tail crept upward from behind him, peeling apart into six smaller burnt amber tails, and he shifted the shape of only his legs to those of a fox to further help her understand. His fangs appeared and the dull brown of his eyes glowed to reveal a mischievous and knowing emerald green. Choppy, auburn bangs hung nearly to his nose and he removed the elastic from his hair, letting the dark brown melt away to its natural, bright red mass with a shake. It hung to his shoulders and framed a mature and handsomely angular face.

When his aura quieted and the world at the bottom of the well was dark again, she chanced an orb of reiki to light the space and took a small step away from the wall. The young man took the chance to open his striking green eyes and smile down at her. They twinkled with love and happiness in the pale blue light of her orb. Kagome felt her heart flutter and her eyes burn.

Her son was still alive.

"Shippou? Is that really you?"

The older Shippou nodded, untrusting of his own voice. He swallowed twice and then took a small step forward.

"Hi, Momma." he grinned down at her.

And his cocky little smile looked so much like Inuyasha's, she sobbed with happiness and reached forward to lay a palm to his cheek. Kagome brushed her thumb over his cheekbone and smiled. He leaned into her hand and closed his eyes, just feeling her. When he opened them again, Kagome took another step forward and her hand left his cheek to travel over to his shoulder, squeezing it just slightly. He looked back into her watery, sapphire eyes with a question and she nodded.

Permission given, he curled himself around her in the span of a breath, arms embracing her slight waist and a palm at her back, tucking his head into her neck and inhaling deeply. If Kagome was confused at his desperate and intimate hug, she did not comment but let him embrace her as long he needed, hugging him back.

"I've missed you." he breathed, embracing her just that much tighter. "So much."

He inhaled her unique and calming scent even deeper just to make sure she was real. Her hands felt so cold, laid against his back over his black t-shirt, and he had forgotten how thin she had become before he'd left for school that year. She was not well. Shippou pulled away, forced himself to release her with his eyes squeezed shut, but brushed his cheek against hers as he stood, as he'd done a million times before. The feeling of her chilled and gaunt face nearly killed him.

"I'm here, honey. I'm not all here yet but I'll get there."

In his excitement to see her, he had nearly forgotten where she was in the timeline of things. For her, this was still the hard part and she was retreating into herself under the pressure of dealing with so many changes and so many unknowns at once. For him, it was the first time he'd seen her alive in nearly five centuries and he drank her in, sadness or no.

"It's okay, Momma. I know it's been hard. I'm sorry I wasn't around the last time you were here, or any of the times before that but we didn't want to draw attention to the shrine in any way."

He cradled her close again, and she let him, but worry began to gnaw at her over his reaction. He wasn't just happy to see her. He was cherishing her.

"Why-" she started but he held up a hand.

"I know you have a ton of questions, and I promise I'll answer them all, but you need to go inside and see your mom first. She's been worried about you and you need her."

She took both of his hands in hers and locked eyes with him.

"I need you, too. I needed you back then. I- I couldn't see- You saved my life, Ship. I hope you know that. I know I told you back then, before you left, but I want you- this you- to hear it, too. Before anything else happens."

"I remember." His eyes softened. "We need each other, Momma, and that's as true now as it is- **was** then. This is still weird." he chuckled, palming the back of his head.

_'So much like Inuyasha.'_ she mused, happy Shippou had picked up something from him other than a foul mouth and impatience.

"Can I help you out of here?" Shippou asked.

"Yes, please. I could try that old ladder but I'm pretty sure I've had it for today. Miroku would be proud of me for- _ahem-_ knowing my limits."

Her imitation of his scholarly tone was poor but Shippou appreciated it anyway and laughed. Scooping her up, the grown fox jumped easily from the bottom of the well to the deck above. He set her down gently, watching for signs of weakness and steadying her with a clawed hand. She was instantly focused on the modest, two-story house past the short pathway from the shed. His mother took a deep breath and then looked him over in the sunlight.

"This- this is weird, right?" Kagome breathed, looking back up at him with smiling eyes.

"Very, but we can be together now whenever you come back. It was- We couldn't see you before. The timing was wrong."

"'We?' You mean you and Sesshoumaru? Are there others?" Kagome asked, sliding the wellhouse doors open.

"Yeah, a few you might know already. I know Sesshoumaru met you last time. I was pissed he wouldn't let me come, too, but he knows that he's doing."

Kagome stiffened at the mention of the daiyoukai but continued on.

"And you'll be here whenever I come back now?"

"Yep." came his quiet answer, looking away from her and across the path to the house with sadness in his eyes. Shippou looked back over at her after a second and smiled again. "Shall we?"

Kagome nodded. Shippou frowned and closed his eyes, letting his glamour slip back into place, then faced her with a rueful smile.

"I miss your eyes already." she giggled, trying to set him at ease. "Once they all know who you are, you won't have to hide anymore while you're here. Are you coming in?"

"That's up to you. You can tell her whatever you want to about me but seeing you like this and meeting me at the same time might be a bit much."

"I can see why. You **are** a lot now. Six tails, my little prodigy? What would Chi-chan say?" Kagome smiled, starting down the steps. "And you can transform! When did that happen?"

"I can. I'll tell you all about it later. And Chinatsu-sensei knows. She's still around." Shippou smiled warmly. "Still causing trouble."

"Of course, she is." Kagome said sarcastically. "Why wouldn't she be? Are any of your other friends still nearby?"

"One or two but most of them moved to the States. It's way more fun for kitsune. Their way of life over there is just naturally much more… wild. We don't stand out much by comparison." he laughed.

"If you say so." Kagome shrugged. "Come in and meet them. My family. I can introduce you to the other most important people in my life." She laid a hand on his warm shoulder and he returned her smile. "I'm so happy to see you, Shippou."

"You, too."

He took her small hand in his and they walked the short distance from the well to her house enjoying each other's company. Somehow, he had worked his usual Shippou magic and smoothed over her panic and grief at being ripped away from the past. He would have to work much harder to keep distracting her from the truth of the present, too.

…

A knock echoed in the small living room where Mariko Higurashi sat reading a newspaper with a cup of tea. The morning's chores were done and she could spare a few moments to catch up with the world.

"Who could that be?" she wondered, rising from her seat and padding over to the door.

"Yes?" Kagome's mother asked guardedly, taking in the scene of a thin woman with dull, black hair and a tall, young man with light brown hair standing just behind her. Wait, the young woman was familiar…

"**Kagome?!**"

"Hi, Momma. I'm home." she said weakly, trying a smile.

"What's wrong, honey?" Her mother pressed a hand to her daughter's forehead and saw the gaunt look of her cheeks. Mariko peered around the new young man and out into the yard, craning her neck. "Where's Inuyasha? Did he not come with you?"

Shippou flinched. Kagome felt her eyes burn but tried to keep her face still so she could squeeze out the truth to the woman who had raised her.

"He- um," she swallowed, lip quivering, "he died. About five months ago."

"Oh Kagome, no. I'm so sorry."

Mariko hugged her daughter close and felt how thin she was. What had happened to them? And who was the young man standing sadly behind her?

"Come in, come in. Sit down here on the couch and you can tell me everything. Starting with who that grown man is that I'm letting into my house and why he's shadowing my daughter's every step." she threw over her shoulder with a cautious look, settling Kagome into a warm blanket and shifting pillows around.

Shippou froze, remembering he was, in fact, a strange, grown man inviting himself into her home as far as Mrs. Higurashi was concerned.

Mariko's tone was guarded, mentally rifling through her daughter's history for a clue, but coming up with no one in Kagome's history that matched his description. Her eyes narrowed on the new face and she waited for an explanation. Kagome beat him to it.

"Momma, this is Shippou. Your grandson."

Mariko gasped and Kagome snuggled deeper into the couch, leaning heavily into the back and hugging a blanket close, relishing the smell of home after so long. She felt some tension in her heart ease just slightly. Nothing soothes a soul like the scent of "mom laundry."

"Shippou? Grandson?! You and Inuyasha- Did you-"

"No, ma'am. I'm adopted." the young man said quickly, bowing respectfully in the entryway, before more questions could further upset his mother.

"Not that it matters." Kagome felt the need to say, looking sideways up from the sofa and giving him a tired smile.

"I know." Shippou smiled back.

Peace crept into his heart for the first time in over a century. There she was. Safe and alive and smiling just for him. Gods, he'd missed her.

…

Several hours later, hours filled with meals and tears and explanations, Shippou walked out of the Higurashi home without the concealing spell and far enough away to make a phone call without attracting attention. It rang once and was picked up immediately.

_"You are still there?"_

"Yeah. She's sleeping now."

_"And she is well?"_

"Not 'well' exactly but she's over the worst effects of the fever. She really doesn't look good though. I don't remember it being quite this bad. I know there were a few weeks where we nearly lost her but then I thought I remembered her being better from then on."

_"You were young. It is likely they kept much of the truth from you to spare you."_

"Maybe. She smells like Sango and Miroku and Kaede. I didn't count on that. It… Well, it hurts."

_"Enjoy their memories. Do not feel guilty for relishing the past. They were your family, as well."_

"Thanks."

The silence was painful for them both. This was awkward and painful and Shippou knew it wouldn't go well if the daiyoukai pushed Kagome too far too soon.

"Give her another day or so, Sesshoumaru. She's exhausted and overwhelmed."

_"She has said nothing?"_

"Not yet. Mariko took her upstairs, got her cleaned up, and put her to bed. I didn't get to see her again. What should I tell her mother?"

_"The bare minimum. Who you are, that you wish to stay near her as she recovers. If the miko tells more than that to her mother, it cannot be helped. Kagome does not know the danger yet. Do not mention my true identity or the past yet. Her mother still believes I am only a benefactor and an acquaintance. And certainly, don't mention the-"_

"Yeah, I know. No need to freak her out."

_"You are staying the night?"_

"Yeah, I've got her. Don't worry. I won't let anything happen."

_"Stay vigilant. Call me if you need something brought to you. Do not leave her. You have your swords?"_

"Yeah. They're concealed. And I won't. I know. I'll try to talk to her tomorrow. See how she feels."

_"I will wait another day but no longer. I cannot."_

"I know, Pop." Shippou said sadly. "I'll do my best to help her understand."

_"Fox, if I must remind you one more time-"_

Shippou groaned. "You know, I could've tried 'Daddy' or something equally gross. 'Pop' is tame comparatively."

_"Neither is preferable. I offered 'Father' in your youth and you refused."_

"'Father' is reserved for the elderly, Sesshoumaru. I still refuse."

_"Then this discussion is over. Again. Call me when she wakes. And Shippou?"_

"Hm?"

_"Make her understand."_

"I'll try… Pop." he said quickly with a devilish grin, pressing the 'End' button and dropping the phone back in his pocket. He'd pay for that later, he knew, but Sesshoumaru wouldn't really mean it. Squabbling was how they bonded and that wasn't changing anytime soon.

Shippou felt lighter. The back-and-forth was trite but soothed their mutual nerves over the situation. Five hundred years was a long time to plan and now that she was here, and the worst was over, it was time to figure out where to begin again.

The matured kitsune fingered the two identical twin sword charms hanging at his throat on a delicate silver chain, and stared up at the dark window on the second floor. Fate had asked too much of Kagome once, but with some help this time, maybe she'd survive. They had to try.

…

The next morning, Kagome's sapphire eyes adjusted slowly and heavily to the early morning light coming through her bedroom window. Groggy from the many, many hours of uninterrupted sleep she had gotten, Kagome sat up, bracing herself upright with both arms and looking around.

She spent a few minutes taking in the flamboyantly pink bedroom of her youth and smiled. Why her mother had never changed this gaudy collection of childish things, she'd never understand but at the moment, Kagome was grateful. This room was full of memories of her childhood. From a time before demons, reiki, bow and arrow, and responsibilities she hadn't been ready for or fully understood. This was a room of innocence and safety.

She remembered last night, too. Recounting to her mother the tale of Inuyasha's death, some of her stay in the West with Sesshoumaru, and coming back to Edo to recover only to get sick. She left out her promise to Mate Sesshoumaru in two years' time, **and** that she had nearly died during each one of those three major events. Her mother had been understanding, offering the love and acceptance Kagome needed more than anything else. Afterward, Mariko helped Kagome bathe, brought her something to eat, and tucked her into bed for the rest of the evening. Sleep, she had said, was what her daughter needed most right now. Everything else came later but her health was the first hurdle.

Kagome pushed herself up and kicked her feet over the edge of the bed, thinking and staring at a circle of the plush carpet that was slightly faded and worn. Inuyasha had slept here a few times. On the floor, right beneath her feet. Her mother had never known, of course. It had only been when things had gotten really bad. They had needed each other for comfort, even if neither was willing to admit it yet.

When they stayed here as a married couple for the first and last time, her mother had forced him to sleep on the couch downstairs.

_"Married or not, I'm not ready for you to sleep in the same room yet, you two. Not unless Inuyasha is ready to explain the facts of life to your brother without any help from me." Mariko cocked an eyebrow and both of them had sputtered their denial with red-stained faces. "That's what I thought. Now get ready for bed and I'll see you in the morning." she'd finished with a smile._

Inuyasha had refused to try anything after that and dutifully slept on the couch, kissing her goodnight with a longing and defeated look. Kagome smiled at the memory, and then chuckled just once at finally being able to smile over a memory of him. In a big way, being here was already soothing her heart. Separation from everything that had been "theirs" to a place that was mostly "hers" felt right.

Time to get ready for the day. Freshly showered and dressed comfortably in an ivory sweater and jeans, Kagome walked carefully down the stairs. Her legs were still weak and she knew it. No sense in trying to be brave or strong when it was only stairs. Near the bottom, Kagome heard her mother's laughter and another voice she was still only vaguely familiar with.

"Good morning, honey. Did you sleep well? Do you want some breakfast?" her mother chirped, brushing the bangs from Kagome's eyes and looking her over.

"Yes, thank you. I feel… okay this morning. Lighter. I thought about him this morning and I actually smiled. That's new."

"I'm so glad to hear it." her mother smiled, walking around the table to lay a hand on her daughter's cheek. "But take it easy today. No shrine duties for you for a few days at least. Tea and books and naps. Then we'll see where you are."

"I'm still here, too!" said Shippou happily from his place on the couch with a steaming mug.

Kagome startled and whipped her head around.

"Good morning, Momma." he waved cheerfully. The sleeve of his yukata slid down his raised arm and Kagome recognized it as one of her father's. The bold pattern of wide vertical gold stripes on dark blue suited him and her heart warmed seeing her son in his grandfather's clothes. Almost as if they were still connected despite never meeting.

"So you are! I thought maybe I'd dreamed it."

"Nope. You're stuck with me now. I haven't seen you in a long time and we have a lot to talk about."

"As long as it isn't about Sesshoumaru, I'm game." she said, crossing her arms and raising her chin.

"Ouch. Diving right in, huh?"

"I said what I said. I have enough to sort through without adding **him** to the mix."

"Fair enough. There's plenty to work through without him, I know, but you need to eat and I have work to do."

"Work? What do you do?"

"Not _work_ work. We'll get to that later but for now, my job is cleaning up the grounds. Right, Grandma?" He leaned around to catch Mariko's eye.

"That's right, sweetie. I'm not going to let a strong young man sit idle while this place falls apart. You stay, you work. Don't forget your disguise if we have visitors, sweetheart." Mariko said, turning back around to finish Kagome's eggs.

"Yes, ma'am." Shippou agreed.

He got up and stretched then started for the door, cinching his hair back with both hands as he walked outside and flashing Kagome a fanged grin around his hairband before shutting the door.

"He's very kind. You raised that one right, Kagome. Well done."

"I get the distinct feeling it wasn't just me…" the young woman said thoughtfully, watching him jog across the courtyard through the kitchen window with the grace of a warrior, not the haphazard run of an office grunt. Her heart clenched a little at the thought.

"What?" her mother asked, setting down dishes of eggs, rice, and a few more things Kagome knew she couldn't finish.

"Nothing. This looks wonderful, mom. Thank you."

"I'm so glad you're back, honey. I'm sorry for why, and I wish you had come home before now, but I'm glad you want to be here to heal. I didn't ask yesterday, but are you staying? Permanently?"

The hope in her mother's voice made Kagome wish she could give Mariko the answer she wanted, but her life was more complicated than that.

"No, I can't stay here forever. I have duties and the much younger version of Shippou to look after back there. Sango and Miroku would watch over him if I asked them to, but I love him and I need to be there. I'm sorry."

"I understand needing to take care of your children, Kagome. That's what I'm trying to do right now."

"I learned from the best." Kagome smiled.

"I'm sorry you can't stay but I understand. Just promise me you'll try to visit as often as you can?"

"Of course, I will."

After some breakfast and some more easy conversation, Kagome learned that Souta was away at a four-day soccer camp and Grandpa was staying with some friends further south to avoid the last of the cold weather for the sake of his arthritis. Jii-chan wouldn't be back in time to see her unless she stayed for a month or more. She knew she wouldn't be here that long, whatever she was feeling. Her duties couldn't wait forever and Kaede would be exhausted by the close of spring. Kagome resolved to write him a letter relaying how sorry she was to have missed him.

Kagome read, paced, slept through the middle of the day, and then caught sight of Shippou outside near the steps, lifting a several-hundred-pound, stone lantern over one shoulder to straighten the base with his foot.

_'That youkai strength is no joke…'_ she mused.

"I'm going outside for a while, Mom!" Kagome called from the entryway.

"Okay, dear. Take a jacket and be careful!"

"Got it."

A pale blue, fluffy down jacket and ivory knit hat joined her outfit and Kagome stepped outside, breathing in a deep lungful of the fresh air. It didn't have the wild and loamy smell of the countryside she was used to but the traces of car exhaust wafting up from the road below smelled like home in a different way. Kagome slowly walked across the grounds and realized "home" was a fluid concept for her right now.

The shrine had been her home as a child. It was still technically "home" through her quest to piece the jewel back together. Her friends and wherever they camped was home during their journey. Then her home was the house Inuyasha had built for them prior to getting married. When she returned to Sengoku, Kagome resolved to live there again. The weather would be warmer and Shippou would be coming home for a few weeks during the summer. He would be relieved to see her healthy enough to stay there by herself. That was one more item off of her get-better list.

In the next breath, she realized, in another year and a half, the Western Palace would be their home. Kagome felt the nerves rise and shook her head.

_'Nope. Not ready to sort through all that yet.'_ she thought quickly.

"Your face is gonna stick like that." Shippou called from a few steps away. "Isn't that what you used to tell me?" he asked with a grin from across the stone path, hefting another stone lantern over one shoulder to reposition it, too.

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess I do. Been a long time since I would have, huh?"

"But you wouldn't anyway because I'm grown, right?"

"Shippou-" she started sadly.

He loudly set the lantern down on its pedestal, cutting her off, and continued straightening it. She let his attempt at distraction go unchallenged. Apparently, they all had a lot to talk about but the subject of his regret was off limits.

"So, what are you gonna do today?" he asked.

"Walk. Talk to you guys. Sleep some more. I need to just… take it easy. I feel like a bum but I can't find the energy to do much else. I feel like I've been laying down, doing nothing, for months. I'm ready to feel like myself again. Ready to work and travel and be a person again."

"You were sick. You've been through a lot. It's okay."

They settled into comfortable silence while he swept another few feet of the walkway, working his way towards the steps. Kagome took a place on a cold, concrete bench nearby and laid back to feel the sun. The contrast of the cold stone and the warm sunshine made her feel at peace.

"I feel so much better knowing you're still alive, you know. I wish I'd known sooner. You look so grown up. I missed the big stuff, right? Transformation and new levels. I'm sure I wasn't around to see you become even half of the adult you are now."

"Kagome, there's a lot you missed, sure, but you were- are irreplaceable. You gave me something as a child I never thought I'd have again. Love and acceptance, even if it came with scolding and teaching. A mother. Do you understand yet how rare that is for youkai?"

"I'm learning." she nodded. "I can't see why though. You were a child in need of a mother and I wanted to make sure you grew up feeling loved. It's not a hard concept to understand."

"It isn't for **you**, and that's what matters. Besides, there wasn't a good time for you to meet me like this." Shippou said. "We didn't have the relationship back then like we do now. I mean, you and I were close but we're much more like mother and son now in the past, thanks to our first stay with Sesshoumaru. None of us knew how tightly bound we were until about now in **your** timeline."

She didn't miss it._ 'Us.'_

"So, you and Sesshoumaru are close?"

A red eyebrow raised in her direction. "I thought you didn't want to talk about him."

"I don't." She closed her eyes, feeling the warmth seeping into her exposed face, and sighed. "Not specifically. I want to know that you've been cared for and not beaten mercilessly every day for the last several centuries."

"I've been cared for." Shippou considered how best to talk her into seeing him. "Don't be too hard on him, Momma."

She sat up with an incredulous look. "Why? He's done nothing but deceive me and give me half the facts."

"Do you trust me?" the grown kitsune said, resting both hands atop the broom handle and faced her.

"Of course, I do. Then and now."

"Then trust me when I tell you he's doing his best."

Shippou dropped the broom and sat down next to her. Once he was settled, she leaned into his warmth and stayed there. He slung an arm around her, rubbing her arm to warm her up faster.

"He's got a lot to answer for, Ship. Why couldn't just tell us what was going to happen? He chose not to tell us for some reason that I'm sure is good enough for him. It's his M.O. Lying by omission."

"There's some truth to that, but trust me some more when I tell you he's paid for his mistakes. He's still paying. He'll tell you more when you're ready to see him but he promised not to come until you gave the all clear."

"He's gonna be waiting a long fucking time then."

"Momma! Language." he grinned over at her.

"You're too old for me to care about that anymore. You never really cared what I said about it anyway."

"Damn straight."

He laughed when she punched his arm lightly. He rubbed it with his hand, feigning real hurt and Kagome laughed with him. He'd missed that sound. Her joy. Shippou sighed, regretting turning the conversation serious again but it had to be done. He promised he'd try.

"Have you thought at all about Sesshoumaru feels right now?"

Her eyes hardened again and she looked over at him with her mouth set in a thin line.

"Are you defending your adopted father's killer?"

"He's my father, too, really. We have a weird family, I admit, but you agreed that Inuyasha's death was necessary. I know that. I'll never forget him and I know you won't either, but don't blame Sesshoumaru. He's really struggled with it, too."

"I haven't told the younger you everything. It's a little too much. You're still recovering, too. Now that you know everything, do **you** believe it was necessary?"

"I… didn't actually. Not until recently."

"What changed your mind?"

"Someone else like Inuyasha. Someone with abilities they couldn't control and no real solution. I had no idea until we lost them, too. She took three of her siblings with her and nearly got her mother. There really is no cure for our baser nature."

"My head knows that; hopes it's the real truth anyway. My heart hasn't accepted it just yet. We saw so much. Sorcery and youki and abilities I never could have dreamed up. I just _**know**_ there had to be something out there to help him. Sesshoumaru had the whole world to search and instead, decided to take the easy way out and use his brawn instead of his brain."

"He had the benefit of first hand experience. He knows what happens when the counter measures fail."

"You mean Touga?"

"Yeah. You know about that already?"

"Yeah. We had a heart to heart in the gallery before leaving the West. I'm not supposed to tell anyone about it so don't rat me out."

"I'm a fox, not a rat. Besides, I bet I know more than you do by now."

"I bet. Back to your original question: no, I haven't had the brain power to consider that he might be having a hard time, too. I've been too busy lying to my friends about marrying him in two years, and being gravely ill, and wondering when the hell…" She sighed. "No, I haven't."

"Well, he's had it rough and it's not getting any easier. He needs to talk to you, and I mean 'needs'. You might need him, too. Have you thought about that?"

"The fuck I do." she said angrily, then took a deep breath and calmed down. "Seeing him again just feels- I don't know… It's just- How am I supposed to look at him? Knowing what's going to happen but hasn't yet? This weird relationship we have is even weirder now because for him, I'm sure lots of things have happened between us that I don't know about. His place in the timeline with me is way different than mine with him."

"He's not gonna jump you, if that's what you're thinking. He's a little clueless sometimes but he's not suicidal."

"Furthest thing from my mind, Shippou! Kami in heaven! I didn't mean that, you pervert. What has he been teaching you?"

"Everything. Sesshoumaru had to have 'the talk' with me." Shippou waggled his eyebrows.

"Oh no… How awful was that?"

"Not at all actually. He's pretty wise."

"Oh, kami, I'm so sorry I wasn't around."

"Don't be. It's served me well."

"What does that mean?"

Shippou thought for a moment and then sighed, making a decision.

"That I'm Mated and settled and you should thank Sesshoumaru for being willing to explain."

Kagome gasped and smacked his chest.

"Shippou Higurashi! Why didn't you tell me sooner?!"

"Ow! There wasn't a good time and you getting better is much more important."

"Like hell! Is she- he? -they? Are they youkai?"

"Yes, **she** is." He held up a finger to her lips. "And before you go nuts, I can't tell you a whole lot more yet. I knew it'd make you happy though so I wanted to let you know I'm taken care of."

"Oh, that's just evil, Shippou. How long?"

Her son groaned. "Don't do this to me, Momma… One hundred and twenty… no, thirty-seven? She knows. I can't remember."

Kagome sucked in a breath through her teeth. "That looked painful."

He barked a laugh. "It's a long time. Maybe you'll get to meet her one day."

"I hope so. I guess I wouldn't have been around long enough before to meet her so I'll count that as a good thing about time travel."

"Yeah, that would be another good thing."

"What's the first good thing? Us seeing each other?"

"Yeah, that too but we have a chance to make things right. Sesshoumaru needs to be here when I tell you more. He's puzzled through the past to come up with a plan. We'll explain when we can all sit down together and talk."

"You're using my curiosity against me and it's working."

"Good. I was betting on it. You're part kitsune or I'll eat my tail."

"Please don't." Kagome giggled.

Then she looked up at the clear sky and thought for a few moments.

"You'll be here? If I let him come?"

"I'm not going anywhere until you decide to go back to the past. I promise. Wild horse youkai couldn't keep me away. Well, there aren't many of them left but you know what I mean."

"I do." Kagome sighed and stood from the bench.

The miko walked away from Shippou a few steps and paced up and down a small stretch of the gray cobbled pathway in her navy flats. He could smell everything rolling through her mind. The sweet but tangy yuzu of her nerves at seeing him again. Then the sharp vinegar from her fear and the ashen scent of her sadness. She wanted to know what he had to say but was afraid of the memories his presence would dredge up. She was just now feeling lighter. Sesshoumaru wouldn't help that. Then the scent Shippou had expected the most: the sizzling hot shishito pepper. The raw spice of her anger. It burned his nose, powerful and thick. That was the last scent he could make out before she planted a foot and faced him.

"Fine. Call his highness. He can come tonight after dinner."

"Are you sure? If I call him, he's coming. He's pretty nervous about seeing you but he's waited a long time to see **this** you."

"Let him be nervous. I'll meet him out here. He's not coming inside. He's not staying. I'll see him this once and then he has to leave me alone."

"I can't make any promises about that. You'll have to work that out between you two."

"Fine, but everything else stands. Make sure he knows it."

"Okay, if you're sure. For what it's worth, I don't think either of you is ready for this. A lot changes after you see each other."

"Do you want me to call it off or not?"

"No, ma'am. I'll let him know. Are you sure though?"

"Shippou…"

He shivered. _There_ was a tone he didn't miss. But even her motherly consternation made his heart leap. He had missed her loving, emotional discipline in light of Sesshoumaru's logical, circular reasoning. His parents were very different beings.

"Ready. Got it. No more questions."

"Good boy."

...

**AN:** Sorry it took so long! I just couldn't be happy with it. I also didn't want to split it up but the second part of Spring 1 has to be just right. Next time, Kagome and Sesshoumaru meet!


	26. Chapter 26 - Separation:Year 1:Spring 2

**Author's Note:** I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 26 – The Separation: Year 1: Spring: Part II**

Later that night, at the Higurashi household…

Dinner was quiet.

Kagome told her mother that Mikazuki-san was coming to finish the discussion they had begun during the last trip. Mariko tried to ask for more information but Kagome stayed politely quiet and volunteered to clean up after dinner. Shippou insisted on helping, watching his mother's moods shift between scrubbing every dish. Anticipation, nervousness, anger, and a sadness that caused her a few deep breaths. She didn't know how to feel.

Shippou learned his lesson after asking for the third time in twenty minutes if she was okay. Kagome pouted and pointed the dish sprayer right at his face, soaking him from nose to toes. Green eyes gaped at her and his mouth hung open as his shirt had dripped a small puddle onto the floor when Mariko came from the laundry room, looking at the stack in her hands, and asking about washing anyone's clothes.

"Gah! Okay fine! I'm done asking! Grandma," he whined, "can I have some dry clothes?"

"Sure, honey. They're in the closet upst- What in the world happened to you? Pfft!"

Mariko doubled over laughing at the dripping wet young man with a sour look on his face and Kagome joined in, nearly falling over with happy tears in her eyes.

"Thanks, you two. Really mature." Shippou gruffed, walking heavily up the stairs. "Females…"

"Wow. I needed that." Kagome chuckled, wiping a stray happy tear away.

The two women laughed again for a moment and then settled back into finishing the kitchen. When everything was wiped and put away, Kagome hugged her mother and thanked her for a wonderful dinner. Shippou trotted back down in a flannel and new, drier jeans.

"I'm gonna go shower and then I'll be back down." Kagome told them both, patting her son's shoulder as she walked by.

"Let me know if you need anything, honey." Mariko called after her, then she turned to Shippou as he rounded the corner into the living room to wait. "Is she all right?"

"No, this is gonna be hard for her but they need to talk."

"Can you fill in any blanks for me? This seems so odd and she seems so upset by it."

"Not really, Grandma, sorry. She'll fill you in sometime, or else you'll hear them shouting about it outside." The kit swiped a clawed hand over his face, anticipating the long night to come.

"I have more questions than answers now, Shippou dear."

"So does she," he shrugged, "but that's partly why he's coming."

"Hmm."

"Excuse me a minute."

Shippou stepped outside in the dark and pulled out a phone, dialing Sesshoumaru's number.

"Hey."

_"Is she still agreeable to meeting tonight?"_

Shippou bit his lip and refused to let himself comment on the haste of Sesshoumaru's question.

"Yes. She's getting ready now. Be gentle. Something's not right. I don't know if she's in denial or she's trying to put on a brave face but just… be gentle."

_"She is a long way from recovered. Perhaps this is too soon."_

"No, you need to see her. I get it. And she might be weird and pissed, but it'll help her to see you, too. I'm sure of it. We need to start explaining this to her so she knows it was- well, not **worth** it, that sounds callous- but so she knows he didn't die in vain."

_"He might have if this does not work."_

"Maybe but we should try."

_"I am on my way then."_

"Drive safe. They caught me in the parking deck last time and then again at the last turn before the mountain road."

_"Hm. Stay vigilant."_

"You, too."

Shippou hung up and pocketed the phone, scented the air for danger and scanned the forest's edge, then watched a wisp of cloud pass in front of the waning moon before heading back inside.

…

Sesshoumaru took the glass elevator down from his loft apartment, holding a palm-sized wooden box in one hand. The corners of the box were rounded and worn, scratches gouged here and there on its otherwise polished surface, and an ancient sutra covered the lid where his fingers drummed lightly in impatience and anticipation.

Intense, disguised, brown eyes watched the busy street below impassively as he descended. Reaching the pavement, the elevator continued to drop and sunk through to the parking deck below. Layers of human-made stone and steel and wires and chemical smells.

The daiyoukai was long past his disgust over the humans' invasion and perversion of nature in favor of the massive concrete congregations they had created. The view was still grim. Gray streets lined with gray buildings that occasionally made way for a small patch of green that was still polluted by the fetid air and human garbage. He was grateful for the glamour muting his senses here in the city.

_'Our return to the West cannot come soon enough.'_ And his hand clutched the wooden box more tightly.

Walking slowly over to his own car, Sesshoumaru heard the faint scratching of claws in the concrete beams above, even with his human ears, but did not react.

_'They are growing bold in their desperation. Fools.'_

Without turning around, Sesshoumaru unlocked the black, full-size, luxury sedan and quietly set down the small wooden box, peeling the sutra free and tucking the contents into the pocket of his slacks. Closing the door, the intruder dropped from the ceiling with a grunt and his boots landed heavily on the concrete below. The oni hanyou's skin was a vibrant red, he was taller than a normal man, and bulging with muscle. He cracked his neck and the inu saw small, twisted horns through the boy's unkempt, pale blond hair.

"You are grown careless, Sesshoumaru of the West."

"Am I?" he asked, curious.

"It is your love of the humans that sees you brought so low… Reduced to disguising yourself to live among them." The attacker didn't hide his disgust and sneered.

"My choice of company is no business of yours, hanyou. Return to whatever cave you crawled from. Do not die for a cause that is not your own."

"My choice to end the life of the ruined Lord of the West is my own. She tells me you cannot even lift a sword..." he drawled tauntingly.

Brown eyes narrowed and flashed gold when the ancient power of his youki stirred at the challenge. "I do not need one to kill **you**. Leave now. Even your life is not as worthless to This One as it is to her. She manipulates you, oni, and you would die to see her goals fulfilled?"

"Pretty words from a haughty has-been in a human skin." The youth growled and widened his stance. "Prepare to die, Sesshoumaru!"

"It is you who should prepare, hanyou, if you persist."

Sesshoumaru clenched his fists and steeled his mind, walking into the open space of the parking deck and dropping the glamour. His nose awoke first to the flood of chemicals, rubber, humans, and stale air and he growled. Citrine eyes dilated against the harsh fluorescent lighting. When his senses were adjusted, he sniffed for nearby humans and finding none close enough to be a nuisance, he was satisfied there would be no surprise voyeurs to the fight that was certain to be short and disappointing. Sesshoumaru focused instead on the oni pulling a large steel-ringed club from a strap at his back.

"And you will not give up this foolishness?" Sesshoumaru tried again.

"You coward!" the hanyou spat. "Give up hiding and face her if you value the lives of others over your own!"

"Her madness is complete. When my name no longer falls from her lips, it will only be replaced with another. Bloodlust in youkai is vicious and unrelenting. You must know at least that much."

"She wants us to live! Openly! You hide in the shadows and wait for… what? An invitation to exist?"

"And yet she sends you to die. Our time is passed. Now is the age of humans. Adaptation is not defeat. What she seeks is impossible."

He'd tried this speech so many times over the years. Sesshoumaru sounded bored and monotonous even to himself, and it had yet to work, but doubt crept into the yellowed eyes of the oni hanyou before him and Sesshoumaru pressed further.

"Find others of your kind. Carve out a new life and savor their company, their memories. Learn from your elders, if they remain. There is much life to be gained in joining the new way of things if you find kin to share it with. Hers is not the only way. Life is not so absolute even for us."

His heart clenched as piercing, pleading blue eyes flashed through his mind. She had tried to tell him. Tried to give him the pack he had wanted in the only way she could. She had warned him about the dangers of denying himself. He had not listened. He was a hypocrite to give the same advice now to another.

"There is- There is nowhere left the humans have not touched. There is no place left in this world for us."

"There could be. I seek to change our place in the present. To make a fortress of safety. Your Lady seeks to stop us out of fear and pride. Who is truly in the wrong?"

"I cannot go back defeated." the youth lamented.

"Do not go back." Sesshoumaru said flatly. "Go. Be free."

The burly, young, half-youkai thought for a moment then refastened his weapon with skeptical, narrowed eyes.

"No tricks, Sesshoumaru? I leave and you let me go?"

"Leave and your life is your own. I care not."

"Why?" came the suspicious question.

"Too many have died. We are killing ourselves now, just as in the past. Soon, our knowledge and legacy will be lost if we do not change. Share this message with others who think as you now do. That is my only request."

A long moment passed and they considered each other. The oni relaxed his stance and shifted his weight onto one foot.

"Perhaps, we were wrong about you, Lord of the West."

"Go."

And the boy did. Loping off across the concrete, Sesshoumaru watched as the oni hanyou concealed himself, pale hair turning black and red skin changing to a dark brown, hitting the street and looking back for only a moment before disappearing into the foot traffic outside.

The daiyoukai exhaled. He did not need another death on his hands. Not just before meeting the one person who could change the need for it.

Sesshoumaru reached into his pocket and fingered the cool metal there while walking back to his car. Sitting in it, he closed the door and took out the necklace to hold it in the palm of a hand. The teardrop of silver framed a large amber stone of the same shape, and felt unnaturally warm. Light pulsed and swam within and his hand grew warmer beneath it.

"What would you say to me now, I wonder? That I have done the right thing? Will you agree when I meet you tonight? Or will you throw your rage and anguish at me to heal your own wounds?" He sighed, alone in his car. "If you must, I will allow it but let this be the last time."

The necklace did not answer but remained silent, reflecting the bright lights of the parking deck. He felt foolish. The jewel was all that was left of her now but it was better than speaking aloud to her memory. He replaced the necklace into its box, sealed the lid once again, and laid it reverently on the dark leather seat beside him.

The large black car purred to life, wove through the garage, and drove smoothly through the brightly lit city streets. There was light traffic for the Friday evening and he was grateful. Stopping at a stoplight, he watched a young couple walk arm in arm across the street. The girl laughed easily and a little too loudly, and the boy almost tripped watching her mouth with eager and wanting eyes. The daiyoukai scoffed.

_'Ingenuine, base attraction. A shallow attachment. The usual human way.'_

When the light changed, Sesshoumaru sped forward, revving the engine and barely missing the young man just stepping off the street. His grip on the gear shift tightened and his speed increased down the long straight road heading further from the city center. The lights from the street lamps traced his body as he sped down the harshly lit highway.

He was a hypocrite. He had allowed her only that same shallow attachment in place of the deeper bond she had craved. Kept her at arm's length for his own comfort and selfish needs, despite the protests of his most trusted advisors and friends. Even when she refused her would-be consorts in favor of remaining faithful, he had left her frequently without his company, he thought, to protect them both. She had borne it all and filled the void his absence created with new purpose of her own invention.

When the unimaginable happened, the inudaiyoukai realized it all too late. When the battle was finished, there was nothing to be done. She was gone. Kagome had become the bond holding much more than just the West together. The spiral downward for him and the faithful in the West had been slow but unavoidable after her death. His first irreversible and major tactical error: failing to see that she had loved him and all that his family had built, unconditionally and regardless of their differences; and provided the means to save their kind from extinction, all while he ignored and refused her. The truth of it had broken him.

If he was doomed to always see reality too late, this second chance to fix things might be his last gift from Fate to make everything right. Many fates could be changed if she would allow it. First, Sesshoumaru had to make it through tonight.

Almost missing the street, so lost in his thoughts, Sesshoumaru whipped the car into an available street side parking spot and killed the engine. Taking a deep breath, he lifted the small box from the passenger side and opened the door. Taking in the dirty and worn cement stairs leading up to the house, he replaced them in his mind's eye with the dirt-packed wooden planks and grassy hillside of ancient Edo. She had loved the natural beauty of it all. As time passed and the modern era began to take over, he began to see why she had preferred nature over this. Like so many other things about her, it had taken him too long to understand.

He began the slow climb up the stairs with measured breaths and when the first, fresh traces of her scent drifted down the hill, he growled at the memories of her that came flooding back and stopped, bracing himself against the emotions he'd tried so hard to lock away.

_Laughing with the children in the courtyard gardens that first Spring after their Mating, her happiness in full bloom like the flowers…_

_Visiting the elder miko's grave when she passed that following Winter and Kagome's sadness overwhelming her scent once again…_

_The raw anger his Mate had thrown at him upon discovering the true purpose for his altered schedule: monthly patrols over his historically quarterly outings…_

She really was here. His Kagome. The dewy rain and floral scent of camelias was tainted with the burnt wood of her sadness. That scent never left her completely after Inuyasha's death. It was a part of her now that had been missing when they met here over six months ago. Her pain was still raw, powerful, but in time it would mellow and meld with her natural scent to create something new. The Kagome he was much more familiar with.

Finally, the right version of the woman he'd cursed, raged, and bled for. The version of Kagome that could understand what needed to be done to save them both from misery. She had to listen and agree. He'd earned that much from his penance in the slow centuries that followed her death.

Reaching the top of the stairs, he took in the other scents around, checking for danger and trying to learn what he could from the yard before confronting her. She had walked here and there during the day. She had talked with Shippou at length, been happy and angry and sad. Sesshoumaru pulled out his phone and typed a quick message to the fox letting him know he was outside and whatever happened next, not to interfere.

_'If you're still sure.'_ came the reply.

And the inu walked forward to finally start the journey to a new future for them all.

…

Inside the house, Shippou was twitchy and pacing the living room, back in his washed and dried t-shirt and jeans. Kagome was upstairs, finishing a bath and getting dressed. When the whine of a hairdryer stopped, his eyes locked with the top of the stairs. She was not smiling as she descended but neither was she angry or upset. And when his mother reached the bottom, his voice cracked trying to tell her Sesshoumaru was here.

"He's- _ahem-_ he's here, Kagome."

"Oh. Okay then." she said flatly.

A knock sounded at the door and Shippou jumped.

"Are you okay? Do you want me to stay or leave you two alone?" he said quickly.

"You can stay. I'll get the door."

Shippou caught the total absence of her scent just a second too late as she sped past him, turned on the outside light, and opened the door. Kagome only blocked her aura and her scent when she was scared of being found out.

"Oh no…" he whispered. "Momma, wait a second. Can we talk-" but the door was open. Too late. "Never mind then."

Sesshoumaru could hear the sing-song quality of her voice through the wood and mentally prepared his explanation again as a porch light blinded him and Kagome began to swing the door open, her cerulean eyes looking for his.

For just one second too long, the scent and sound of her even through the door stilled him so completely that he was unaware Kagome was fully standing before him, door flung wide open, waiting for the inu to open his eyes and see the anger and hurt on her face.

"Seriously?" she said bitingly, the scent of her anger rising. "So disgusted with having to come clean up your mess that you'd just stand there and ignore me?"

"Kagome, I understand how-"

And she slapped him.

Hard.

Sesshoumaru could smell the building scent of salt from her unshed tears even with his head snapped to the side.

"**That's** for not telling **me** the whole truth when you had the chance." she ground out, her voice growing thick.

"Oh shit…" Shippou gaped.

"What is going on out here?" Mariko asked, joining Shippou a few feet from the door.

Sesshoumaru only blinked and brought his own hand up to rest on the cheek that was still stinging from the force of her hit. He had never been so caught off guard. Then, in an instant, the stinging feeling of her reiki sizzled across his skin and his golden eyes snapped up to hers a second too late.

"And this is for Inuyasha, you selfish **bastard**!"

The energy built in a shockwave from her toes and no one had time to react as she flung her rage at him as a blade of ice blue reiki. Sesshoumaru was blown back from the doorway, halfway across the yard before turning over in midair and clawing the ground to maintain his crouch as he slid on the gravel. Dust, dirt, and rock flew everywhere and for a moment, the sight of her was lost to him.

"Kagome Higurashi! Have you lost your senses? What on earth-" her mother gasped.

"Don't worry, Momma. He's lied to you, too." she growled at the cloud of dust, not turning back around. "Reiki only works on **demons**. Isn't that right, Sesshoumaru?" she yelled from the doorway to the house.

"Momma, wait!" "Kagome, stop this right now!"

"Leave me alone!" she yelled back at both of them through a haze of unshed tears. "This is between me and him!"

Kagome started across the yard and faced him down, barefoot and seething. She had been prepared to talk to him. She had been prepared to cry and yell. But when she opened the door to see him stand there with his goddamn eyes closed, ignoring her completely after being so adamant about meeting with her, after **everything** that had happened, something in Kagome snapped. The hurt and betrayal that had come from her first visit back, that pain she had stuffed down deep in her heart for this Sesshoumaru and his deception, came pouring out and she would make him understand the hell he had sentenced them to.

Shippou and her mother both stopped a step out of the door, and looked at each other. Mariko pointed at Kagome.

"Go get her! I don't know what's going on but this isn't my Kagome!"

Shippou frowned and quietly explained.

"It is, actually. He guessed it would go like this, Grandma, but he knows what he's doing. He won't hurt her. She's the only one in the entire world that could ever get away with it, but he won't hurt her. Now, she might hurt him but it won't be too bad… I think."

Shippou shivered and watched the exchange. His heart began to break for Kagome all over again. He could stop her if it got out of hand. Sesshoumaru had warned him she might lose control of herself. He also warned Shippou to let her.

"But I'm confused." Mariko puzzled, pointing at Sesshoumaru. "That's Shouta Mikazuki, our patron. He has nothing to do with Kagome. They spoke for the first time during her last visit, didn't they?"

"No," he shook his head sadly, "sorry, but that's actually Sesshoumaru, ex-Lord of the West, Inuyasha's older brother, and Kagome's Mate. Well, future Mate. Her future, our past. _Gah!_ They're not Mated yet but they will be, and that's the best I can do right now."

Mariko listened but she couldn't put it all together. Why hadn't Kagome told her any of this? What was a Mate? And why did Mikazuki suddenly have white hair and yellow eyes?

Sesshoumaru rose from the dirt, brushing the worst off as she approached then letting his arms hang loosely by his sides. Kagome stopped several feet away and fisted her hands. He watched as her ocean eyes turned harsh and angry. Her aura crackled weakly but threateningly around her and he swallowed the reprimanding growl building in his throat, knowing it was reflex and not how he truly felt. He would not reprimand his Mate for her outburst. She wasn't truly his. Kagome needed this and he would let her have it.

"I get it now." Her voice was low and watery but she didn't hide her pain and stared right into back into his ageless, golden eyes. "When- when he called you a bastard. You really are, you know? Urgh!" Kagome angrily scrubbed the tears from her eyes with one heavy swipe of her ivory sweater, cursing her inability to hold them in. "You- You **sat** there, in my mother's kitchen with my **whole** family, and let us- let us believe that things were okay! That we could be happily married for the rest of our lives! The whole time, **knowing** what was going to happen!"

A sob broke through her tirade and she hid her face from him with both hands.

He nearly broke, nearly lost the battle to keep his distance, watching her throw her sorrow and rage at him. She looked so small and so broken, covering her face with her hands. Her wavy, dark hair danced in a weak breeze and it fluttered across her face and around her shoulders. Her thin body was shaking with fresh grief and the cool evening air but still, she locked her fists at her sides again, stood there, and berated him.

"You should have warned us! You should have warned him! When Ren described what his transformations were like, I almost threw up. Do you have any idea how scared and lost he was? Do you understand how desperate he had to be to come to **you**, the only brother, the only family, he had left?"

Tears were running down her flushed face and dripping from her chin. The scent of her sorrow and anger filled his nose and burned in its intensity.

"It was a joke to you, wasn't it? His pain. Or did you get some perverse pleasure out of knowing he'd die a horrible death at your hand? What the **fuck** went through that ancient brain of yours when you looked right at your own brother for hours and said **nothing**?! Damn you, Sesshoumaru! He didn't deserve to die like that! He didn't deserve the pain you brought him. You didn't deserve his forgiveness!"

Sesshoumaru swallowed thickly, clearing the guilt and bile from his throat. She had laid out his sins perfectly.

"I did not." came his quiet, defeated reply.

"What?" she snapped.

"I did not deserve his forgiveness, his pardon, or the mantle of 'brother' but he gave it to me nonetheless."

"Why? Why would he do such a thing? You were nothing to him! You hated him!"

"He knew differently in the end because I told him the truth. I told him of my jealousy over his life, his accomplishments, and his freedom. His strong will to overcome the trials thrust upon him by his very existence. His commitment to you and your happiness, even if it robbed you both of his final weeks."

He had meant the truth to soothe her but instead, he scented her anger double in intensity.

"He wasted them looking for you! And what did you do?! You pawned him off on someone he'd never met and left him there alone after he told you he was dying! Don't pretend you cared **anything** for him until the moment he fell in the middle of that field, dying in agony because of **you**."

In this, she was wrong. Sesshoumaru's voice grew louder in his frustration.

"He did not know of my intentions to reconcile but I suspect now that you do. I anticipated many years ahead to rectify our relationship. I did not realize his affliction was a possibility until it was too late and you know that as well as I."

"And when you found out he was doomed, what did you do? Make some weak effort to solve the problem and then watch from the sidelines as he massacred half the countryside so you had an ironclad need to murder him. Really brave, Sesshoumaru."

"Oh no. She shouldn't have said that." Shippou said, placing his hands over his grandmother's ears.

The raging roar that echoed from the forest to the house scared them all into jumping.

_**"Naïve, foolish human!"**_

She gasped when Sesshoumaru's eyes bled red and glowed in the fading light, his fangs lengthened and, for a moment, his face stretched into a nightmare with a predatory glare and bold, indigo markings. He was surrounded in a wind of pale green youki and hunched over with the effort of controlling his anger. Finally, it shrunk back but he stayed hunched and growling, ignoring her, breathing heavily and shaking with the intensity of swallowing his rage.

_'She does not understand. She does not yet know… She is yours to protect.'_ he reminded himself.

"It had to be done and I would rather claim his life than allow an executioner he did not know. He understood and so should you. Hear this one last time, Kagome: never again use his death as a tool to goad me into anger. **Never again!**" He smelled her tears and the sour vinegar of her fear and felt remorse but Inuyasha's death, he would not feel guilt for again. "Have you **any idea** what it feels like to murder your own blood? I dare you to lay a hand to your own mother, or your young brother, then tell me how little it rends your soul! You will misunderstand many things about me, Kagome, but never that! The nightmares of-"

He snarled again, cutting himself off, and began pacing back and forth before facing her again.

"I will never be rid of the feeling of his heart- his life- in my hand. **Never** be free of knowing I killed one of the last of us left alive and the only other offspring of my father to ever live. These hands! He did not deserve his death, true, but it was a necessary tragedy and I stand by it. I bear the burden of that alone, I saw to it you had no claim to blame yourself, and I now will never be free of it!"

There was growling coming from one side of the yard and gasping sobs from the other. Shippou listened to them both and his heart twisted for the parents he knew were so much alike, wanted the same things in life for themselves and their pack, if only they could see past their mutual need to grieve and lean on each other instead of… this.

"Good." Kagome glared back at him.

"No, Kagome." He shook his head and stared down his nose at her. "It will not be so easy. There is much more to say."

"I agree. Let me start: I think you didn't tell us last time because you have some twisted plan to make sure he was out of the way so you could use me, marry me, for your own selfish reasons!"

"Marry her?" Mariko gaped at Shippou.

"Yeah… I'll explain that one later. That's essentially what Mating is, though, and she's wrong."

"Miko, you push too far…" Sesshoumaru growled.

"I haven't begun. You wanted a human nursemaid for Rin," Kagome ticked off her fingers to exemplify, "to shut the North up, shut the Council up, and to piss your mother off. Katsurou's demand did all of those for you at once. And like the idiot and **_sucker_** I am, I agreed. Now we're both stuck. Apparently," she threw her hands up in exasperation, "something really shitty has happened sometime between then and now, and you're here to do damage control. Well, you know what? I don't give a damn what you need or want! I have enough to deal with. Now, leave me alone. You came. You saw me. We're done."

"There is much more to say. You may remain angry at me if you wish but that does not change what must happen next. Our lives are not the only ones at stake!" he barked.

"No. Go home, Sesshoumaru. Leave me and my family alone. I can't deal with you and this," she pointed at the wellhouse, "and whatever fresh hell you're trying to drag me into. I can't. I can barely look at you."

"You can and you must. There is no other way. Hear me and then I will leave you to your thoughts."

Kagome shook her head and lost her balance. The reiki had been too much. Her anger was dying and the adrenaline and false strength it brought was leaving with it. The world spun for a moment and her vision went black. Shaky knees buckled and would have shattered on the stone pathway if two arms of warm steel hadn't caught her first. When she blinked the fainting feeling away, he was kneeling down and holding her waist to keep her upright as she knelt on the stone.

Her first reaction was to recoil, shoving him away. Uncaring if she hit the ground, Kagome wanted to feel anything but this helpless, impotent rage and sadness. Instead, her traitorous fingers gripped fistfuls of the black button down over his biceps even tighter and she felt the lump in her throat double in size.

She was much too small, he noticed immediately. This human woman of great power and infinite kindness was unfairly broken by Fate, trying to create the simple and happy life she had wanted. The life he, too, had denied her once.

Kagome's heart rate doubled and Sesshoumaru watched as the pale sweater over her breasts rose and fell more quickly as her emotions and logic warred within her, trapped in his hold. Amber eyes never blinked, watching, and waited for her to speak. Her scent varied wildly from burning sadness to excessive exhaustion and then to the spicy pepper of her anger, until it finally settled into all three and she dropped her chin.

"Go away." she whispered, blinking watery sapphire eyes up at him. "Please just go away. Don't make this worse. Don't make it harder. I just need to feel better."

He stared right back and his eyes and his tone softened when he replied.

"I will not. For as long as you have been traveling in the past, and much longer before that, I have been waiting for you to return in this moment. You know enough of what has happened to understand what could happen next. You must hear what I have to say. If you decide to refuse after hearing the truth, I will accept it, but hear it first."

"Why? I don't want anyone expecting any more of me. I don't. I'm already promised to you." She pleaded up at him. "You have my entire **life**. Isn't that enough?"

"Many lives can be changed, saved, if you are willing. I regret that it falls to you but there is no other way."

"What more could you possibly want from me?"

"I want you to live. I want to save many other innocent lives from death. In a much smaller way, I want to save some of our history and not let everything I built end up in ruin because of my inability to see the truth."

"I'm not dying anymore. I'll live. Take that one off the list and just go."

Sesshoumaru shook his head and some of his silver hair tumbled over his shoulders. "Not from your illness. I was unaware entirely that you suffered from it back then. No, there is more. Will you hear it?"

"Not now. I can't take any more right now. I need time."

"I understand."

He swallowed thickly and his aura developed the same nervous agitation as it had before their tour of the gallery in the West.

"Then will you set me down now?" Kagome asked.

"I have one selfish request."

"Don't push it." the priestess snapped. "I'm not frying you or yelling anymore. That's the best you get from me today. Just let me go and I'll walk inside. We can talk tomorrow."

"Very well."

"Momma! Let him ask!" Shippou yelled from across the yard. At her angry glare, he fisted his hands on his hips and glared right back, saying the one thing she couldn't fault him for. "Trust me."

Sesshoumaru growled at the full-grown kit but Shippou just crossed his arms and raised his chin.

Kagome sniffled once more and sighed. "Fine. What?"

"It is late. Your son pushes his luck. I will speak with you tomorrow."

His quiet and defeated look gave her pause. Kagome gritted her teeth and took a deep breath. Her right hand released his shirt and she smoothed the wrinkles against his skin. It was as close to an apology as he would get from her.

"No. I- I said some unforgiving things. You deserve a request, I guess. A little one. What do you need?"

She had to say it like that. His voice dropped to barely above a whisper.

"Will you permit me-" she heard him swallow thickly and then he was silent.

"What?" she probed gently.

"-to hold you? If only a moment?"

"A hug? That's your selfish request?"

"I have been denied my Mate for nearly five centuries. Before today, this return to the present, you would not have understood. Now you may."

"I don't." Kagome shook her head. "We don't… have that kind of relationship."

He rose slowly, still holding her. Her hands grasped the dark sleeves over his forearms. She suddenly understood.

"Wait."

Blue eyes found his and she saw the hurt swimming there in the faded amber of his eyes, below the furrowed brow and above his downturned mouth. He was uncomfortable, fighting and frustrated with himself.

"Sesshoumaru?" He locked eyes with her. "We go through with this Mating, don't we?"

"Yes."

"And it worked?"

"Yes."

"The 'Mate' is me?"

"Yes, Kagome."

"I still don't really understand but I'll- Okay."

Sesshoumaru let out the breath he didn't realize he had been holding. Finally, after so long, she was real and allowing his touch; her permission given to soothe the centuries-long ache in his soul. She, this Kagome, did not possess his youki but everything else about her was enough for his instincts to recognize her as his.

Sesshoumaru slid his hands around her frail body, his right framing her slight waist and his left cradling her back to bring her closer. Kagome blinked and leaned forward, allowing him like she said, and wound her arms around him, too. His back and chest were warm through the dark shirt and Kagome's cheek reflexively brushed against his chest, seeking more of his warmth against the cooling night air.

He took a small step forward, pressing their bodies fully together to feel her. He heard her nervously swallow. This was new for her. In her timeline, they had barely touched at all… but not in his.

His hand crept around her waist and gripped her tighter. If this was all he was allowed, it would have to be enough but he would bathe in her attention until the next time it was granted. If there was a next time, he reminded himself. Every breath, every scent, and every soft brush of her face against him soothed his soul. Her heartbeat was rapid and strong even if her body was weak.

The deep memory of her scent was replaced for the moment with all that she was now: sad but not grieving, nervous but not fearful, content but not happy. His nose found the delicate skin behind her ear as she pressed into his chest and he inhaled, memorizing her all over again. She shivered against him and Sesshoumaru reflexively held her tighter. Slowly, her heart slowed and her breathing became even.

"I'm sorry." she whispered against his chest and squeezed his back. "I shouldn't have said all those things."

"Do not be. Some of what you say is true. You must release your anger, your sorrow, to grow past your grief. If you do not, it will consume you. Perhaps now, you will begin to truly heal."

His nose traced the edge of her ear and Kagome closed her eyes, staying still. He smelled like a cypress forest laced with lavender and she felt truly at peace for the first time in months, caged in strong arms, warm and protected from the world. It felt right to be held and the knowledge was surprising. This was not the embrace of a child or a friend or a parent, safe and platonic. This was the intimate embrace of a lover.

"I've been holding that in for so long and I didn't even know it was for you. I'm so tired of crying."

"That is why it is called 'grief.'"

"Why did it have to be now though? I've actually thought about you, this you, a few times since Inuyasha died and it never made me so… angry before."

"We had not faced each other in this new reality on equal footing before. We still have not, I suppose. There is much to discuss but our timing is notoriously terrible."

His cheek pressed against the crown of her head and stilled.

She chuckled just once, curtained by his silver hair. "Is it? I haven't even seen you since Fall of last year. I wouldn't know."

"An oversight corrected by the Summer. You will be angry when we meet," he laughed only once over her head, "and I will deserve it."

"Mmm." She nodded against his chest, only half hearing him.

The last several hours of nerves, the reiki she couldn't really spare, and the emotional turmoil of the fight finally caught up to her and Kagome yawned widely and apologized. Taking the cue, Sesshoumaru pulled his nose from her hair, brushing her cool cheek with his warm one, and looked into the forest over her head.

Across the yard, Kagome's mother was confused but Shippou was smiling from ear to ear.

"Fucking finally." the kitsune sighed, dropping his head to Mrs. Higurashi's shoulder.

"Did I just see what I thought I did?" she asked.

"Yes. And thank the kami. Now," he clapped loudly just once and his grandmother jumped, "we should make some tea because **she's** cold and we all have a lot to talk about."

Kagome and Sesshoumaru were just pulling apart on the central path of the shrine yard.

"Sesshoumaru?" she asked, looking up at him.

Her nose brushed his chin, she heard him inhale sharply and watched him tightly close his eyes and turn away. He knew logically that she did not intentionally mean to intimately brush her nose against his jaw but the action left him stirred and wanting nonetheless.

"Sesshoumaru," she tried again, "what happened?"

His arms tightened around her but he did not speak. He could not just yet as he fought his body for control, holding her so close after so long apart. A few more deep breaths passed between them before his raspy reply came.

"Much has not happened yet for you."

And he was damning it all. Feeling her here, so tender and warm, he cursed himself all over again for robbing them both of a much gentler future.

"Did something really bad happen?"

"Many things."

He could do this. It's what they had come for. It was going to be an unproductive night if he couldn't say the truth out loud.

"Are you okay?"

Kagome laid a cool palm against his cheek, as she might do to comfort Shippou in a moment of panic, and Sesshoumaru exhaled with a sad and rueful smirk. He returned her affection, pressing his cheek against her palm and accepting her comforting touch.

"I can admit in this moment of weakness, and only to you, that I am not and have not been for some years now. I miss your presence in our lives and I have only myself to blame."

"Why? You both seem so sad. You and I don't care about each other in my timeline. At all. What is happening?"

"The worst has already happened for your son and I." He took another steadying breath and locked eyes with her. "You and Rin have been dead since the second year following our Bonding."

"What? How?" Kagome gasped.

"I will tell you everything you wish to know but inside. It is cold and you are still weak."

"Weak enough to blow **you** across the yard…" she pouted.

His low, half-hearted growl made her laugh and Sesshoumaru was relieved to hear such a sound after their confrontation. It gave the daiyoukai hope that they might forge a closer relationship in the short time she was visiting. Taking a chance, emboldened by her mirth and relaxed posture, he swept her up in his arms.

"But not, I think, strong enough to escape being carried back to your house."

"You could just ask..." she grumbled, embarrassment flushing her face. "Gods, this is déjà vu."

His questioning eyebrow made her smile again. She was getting used to his expressions.

"The sparring match with Ren?" He stiffened around her. "You carried me back to my rooms-"

"Hm, before requesting your visit to the gallery. Yes, I remember. Another unpleasant evening between us."

"Not entirely. I learned a lot about you that day."

"And I, you."

…

They walked back to the house in silence after that and when Sesshoumaru stepped through the door, Shippou had four mugs of tea and a wide smile waiting for them. Mariko sprung into action, making sure Sesshoumaru knew whose house he was in and whose daughter he was holding.

"Put her down here, on the couch and I'll get another cushion for Shippou. Wait- Yes, there. Here, let me get a blanket. Take your tea, honey, and I'll be right back."

"Thanks, mom." Kagome called after her.

Mariko was muttering to herself, head buried in a linen closet when something crashed, she swore, and silence prevailed.

"She's flipping out, Momma. Can I go?" Shippou asked, genuine concern on his face.

"Oh no, take me." she said, pushing herself upright slowly. "This is so much; I hadn't thought yet about how she's doing."

"No, I can do it. We're cool now. Let me help, okay? You stay here."

"Okay," Kagome laid ungracefully back down, "but bring her back here if you need me."

"Yes, ma'am." Shippou saluted and walked away towards the laundry room.

Kagome's eyes softened and followed her son's back through the house.

"He's- he's so grown up. I never pictured what he would look like as a man." she said, still watching him.

"Like many mothers, he joined you as a child and remained so in your eyes. Most parents die before their children but for you, he would not have appeared much more than ten or so human years before you naturally passed."

Kagome nodded and looked back at Sesshoumaru who was still standing at the foot of the couch.

"Tell me about him. Growing up, I mean. What did I miss?"

"Kagome, tonight is not-" he started gently.

"No, it's okay. I knew I was never gonna live long enough to see him grown up. This is amazing. Like a gift, really. Tell me something happy. Let's do that for once. Tell me who he grew up to be."

When she drew up her knees in invitation, Sesshoumaru sat at the foot of the old, dark green couch and crossed his legs.

"Very well." He grabbed an untouched mug and sipped, then looked over at her. "He favors the color yellow in his possessions, he gained his second tail in his one hundred and sixty-seventh year and well ahead of his classmates, he battles with twin falchion forged from my fang and his and has yet to name them, and his most troublesome modern habit is crashing his car in the most noticeable and unique way possible. Kitsune are not known for their infallible attention spans and his is worse than most."

"Shippou's a bad driver… Wow. As informative as all of that is, that's **what** he is, not **who** he is. Who is he?"

"I see. He is your son, so he is hot tempered, uncoordinated, and loud-" he grinned.

"Hey!"

"But he loves with abandon, uncaring for propriety or appearances." Her face softened and she smiled contentedly. "He feels things keenly and understands himself and his emotions on a level even I envy. He is a dedicated Mate and caregiver. He is the only kitsune I have known that is unfailingly kind, selfless to a fault, as you were. He is a credit to you. Your legacy lives in him."

"Good. And I **do** love intensely. I'm still here, Sesshoumaru."

"You are, but you must understand that you have also been dead for many centuries and I-"

"What did we miss, you two?" Shippou asked from the kitchen, winding back around the table and dragging Mariko with him.

"Not much. Momma, are you okay?" Kagome asked gently.

"I'm… going to go lie down." She put a hand to her forehead. "My youkai grandson has agreed to look after you and I need some quiet after his explanation. Kagome, take it easy and get some rest. We'll talk tomorrow."

"Okay… are you sure you're all right?"

"My daughter is engaged to a demon, who I've known but not known most of my adult life, and throws glowing blue blades. No, sweetheart, I need some time."

Sesshoumaru stood and bowed slightly.

"I am sorry for the deception. Please understand, it was not intended to insult you but only to keep the shrine and your family out of the minds of our enemies."

"He said that, too. I just- I need to lie down."

"I'm still me. Whatever you want to ask, I'll tell you. Good night, Momma."

"Good night, Kagome, and don't stay up too late. Good night, you two."

Mariko grabbed the steaming mug and her book from the coffee table, kissed Kagome's head and retreated upstairs.

"She'll be okay. Just needs some time." Shippou shrugged. "She's never seen you use your reiki before?"

"Until this year, I never could. It always felt out of my reach until Miroku worked with me back home. Now, I feel like I have to use it constantly. But enough about me, you two are just staring now and it's making me nervous. Sit down and take a sip, then tell me what's going on. I don't know how long I'll be this coherent."

"You have decided to consider what we have to say?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"I have. It can't hurt to hear you out. I don't know how much strength in the near future I'll have to help you, but I want to know what had you both so upset. So, shoot."

"I'm trying to decide where to start. Pop?"

"Shippou-" Sesshoumaru warned.

Kagome's face split into a wide and sweet smile.

"Oh my gosh, that's adorable! He calls you 'Pop'?"

"Much to my chagrin."

"You like it?" Shippou grinned at her, then pointed at Kagome and looked at Sesshoumaru. "Look how happy she is! You can't be mad anymore."

Sesshoumaru did see the joy in her face and crumbled. The joke was long overdue to end anyway.

"Very well." he conceded, turning to Kagome. "Are you sure you are well enough to speak with us tonight, or would you prefer to go to bed?"

"No, I'm okay. A little sleepy but okay. What do you need me to do?"

"Many things."

"Sesshoumaru, that's not helpful." Shippou rolled his eyes.

"It is best to begin after the ceremony-"

"No, you came to visit that Summer way before, when I was at school-"

"That was unimportant and prior to my realization that-"

"You said we're starting with the Bond first-"

"We talked about this. She must first know-"

"**Whoa!**" Kagome yelled. "Time out! Someone just start at the beginning and we'll go from there, okay?"

Sesshoumaru took a deep breath and looked at her.

"The crux of the problem is to change what happens, to change the fates of both the West and everyone who died needlessly in its destruction, you must- **we** must forge a deeper Bond, first and foremost. Everything else may fall into place after that. However-"

"Wait a minute. Destruction of the West? You have an army, and **everyone** there is a daiyoukai. How?"

"Timing, discord, and ignorance were our enemies as much as our attackers but there is a plot to overthrow us and seize the West. The attack that finally cripples our army comes just after I leave to retrieve you during the Fall of our second year together, on which," he stopped her question, "I will elaborate when we reach that portion of the conversation."

"Who was it? Can't we just skip to the end if you know who it is? Stop everything terrible before it starts?"

"No. You will encounter them infrequently, but at the Bonding ceremony in particular, and I will not tempt your impetuous and vengeful nature by naming our enemy until after that. Your glare means nothing." He sent her a reprimanding look of his own. "You must be the Lady of the West and not a wrathful miko for Rin's sake and the sake of peace between the Cardinal Lands. In this, I will not yield. Ending the life of our enemy now will bring about the same end result only in a different way; potentially in a way I cannot prepare you for or counteract. This timeline, as it is now, we know and can navigate."

"More or less, anyway." Shippou shrugged.

"And you said a deeper Mating Bond? What's deeper than absorbing a piece of your aura? You've both told me how intense that is, but it needs to be more?" She looked at Sesshoumaru. "You've already explained Marking and-" her eyes shifted to Shippou, "everything else."

"Ha! Mom, I'm Mated now, remember? Chances are I get more action than you these days."

"Shippou Higurashi! He's right there! And I can't even think about that right now."

"I know." Her son's devilish grin widened. "So, I definitely shouldn't tell you how many times I heard you guys-"

"Fox!" Sesshoumaru warned.

"I agree! For kami's sake, relevant information only, please."

Sesshoumaru glared sideways at the mischievous kit and seized the moment of silence before Shippou could speak again.

"Much happens before our separation is over, but I cannot define any one event during that time that would alter the eventual outcome. However, after our Bonding ceremony, I will come to believe that Katsurou has sentenced us to Mate for the sole purpose of tempting us into creating hanyou heirs, weakening my bloodline and creating a pathway for him to seize the West."

"Weakening your bloodline? Did you **meet** Inuyasha?"

"I am not defending my actions, merely recounting my history. Additionally, in order to keep us from suffering the effects of the full Bond, I neglect to tell you one very important fact during our discussions of youkai Mating and the Bonding ceremony."

His eyes shifted nervously over to Shippou.

"Oh, go ahead. She can handle it. This is step one, right? Don't be a prude about it."

"I am considering her-"

"Handle what?" Kagome interrupted curiously, looking back and forth between them.

"Marking is not reserved only for males."

"Marking? Wait, you mean the biting-me Mating mark, right?"

"Indeed. What you do not know, more accurately: what I refuse to teach you, is that it is customary for youkai females to mark their males as well."

"Wait… Do you mean… You want me to bite you, too?"

"Mark me. Yes."

"Same thing."

"No, it is entirely different."

"Is it though?" Kagome raised a skeptical brow.

"Exceedingly. What you must attempt, if you agree, has never been done that I am aware. Other daiyoukai in history have taken human mates, but not human mates who were capable of sharing their energy to create a true Bond. Miko do not associate with youkai as a general rule so our union is unique. You have masterful control over your aura now and I believe you are capable of successfully melding your aura with mine."

"What does it do to you? Why does that matter?"

"I do not know how it will affect me but I am willing to take the risk. There will be many attacks on the West in the future. More assassins come for you in Edo, the woods surrounding, and even in the Western Palace once you reside there. If our Bond is stronger and more complete, through it, I will know where you are and your condition even at great distances."

"You were going to mark me anyway, though, so you would know, right? You said that you'd know where I was and told me about the memory transference."

"No, our Bond was intentionally weak. I forged the palest Bond with your aura that I could in order to spare us both."

"Spare us from what?"

"From the-" Sesshoumaru started but was cut off by Shippou.

"His ridiculous and self-destructive habit of blaming himself for everything and being everyone's whipping boy. Don't glare at me. It's true! She might as well know what she's saving you both from."

"You're just instigating now because I'm here to save you, Ship…"

"No, he knows it and if we're not honest right now, this all means nothing. He martyrs himself for everyone and doesn't want to share the burden of it all with you, **and** he doesn't want to feel your human emotions and grow attached to the Mate he knows **might** die in less than a century. He's a chicken about it and refuses to let himself love you."

"Too much, kit."

"Is that true, Sesshoumaru?"

"Be honest, Pop."

Sesshoumaru's eyes softened at Shippou and then turned on Kagome. The hand on his pant leg reflexively lifted to touch her before he caught himself and laid it back down.

"You are the first, Kagome. I do not know how this Bonding affects us both and I err on the side of caution to cause as little grief as possible to us both. I am, at this moment in your timeline, deciding what emotions are allowable regarding your return to the West."

"Allowable? Sesshoumaru, they're feelings. You don't **allow** them. They just happen."

"To you, yes. I am not afforded the same freedom."

"Kenshin said as much once. I'm sorry to hear he was right."

"In your timeline, I have not yet properly dealt with the emotions regarding my brother's death and feel much guilt and reticence in welcoming you back to the West as an intended Mate. Not because of who or what you are, but because I understand what you have been through intimately and do not wish to force your hand if you are not ready."

"Both of our hands were forced, dummy, and you might know better how I was doing if you came to visit me in Edo. As far as I know, you don't have any plans to do that."

"I do not. As I said, I will see you in the Summer. Perhaps, propose visiting to me then."

"Changing anything might help? Is that what you're telling me?"

"Not 'anything.' Our Bond, in particular, must be stronger for you to survive. If you are willing, then suggesting spending more time acquainting ourselves prior to the ceremony would be beneficial."

"So businesslike." she frowned. "So, you want me to Mark you, too? Say for a second that I agree to do it, what do I do if you stop me?"

"Since I will not be expecting it, you have the element of surprise on your side. I suggest you attempt your Mark at the same moment I do. Granted, it might be difficult."

"Why?"

"You may be distracted by pain… or pleasure." he thought for a second. "The latter is more likely. Our seclusion was eye-opening in its intensity."

"My son is right there!"

"And he has a Mark, too, remember?" Shippou grinned.

"Also, not something I want to think about!"

Shippou rolled his eyes. "It does hurt like a sonofabitch."

Shippou peeled his collar away and the pale crescent scar that outlined the base of his neck looked healed but still vibrant.

"Gods, that looks deep." she marveled.

"Well, it doesn't have to be but she's a little violent sometimes. It works for me." Shippou smirked.

"An understatement." Sesshoumaru rumbled.

"Enough of that, thank you. So, I should mark you too, and that gives us a stronger Bond, but how does that help anything?"

"In the second Fall following our union, you are stolen away by our enemies in an attempt to draw me out. Because our Bond is incomplete, your captor is clever, and you are weakened by the battle prior, I am unable to find you in time."

Kagome was silent, fisting the covers and thinking.

"And I die?"

Sesshoumaru nodded solemnly. He refused to think any more on what finding her looked like, smelled like, or felt like. Taking a deep breath, he re-centered his attention in the present and continued.

"You are killed, yes."

"What about Tenseiga?"

"The sword refuses to allow your return."

"But… why?"

Sesshoumaru looked away and then a brash ringing began in his pocket. The phone illuminated through his khakis and Sesshoumaru stood from the couch.

"Tell her." he said, pulling the phone from his pocket and walking outside. Shippou watched him go with concern on his face.

"I will but you should!" Shippou yelled after him and Sesshoumaru walked quickly out of the door.

"Is he okay?"

"No, he's still blaming himself, and he should, but he doesn't deserve what happened." Shippou's sad emerald eyes left the closed door and turned to his mother. "Tenseiga doesn't work because you gave up. You didn't want to come back. You were kidnapped and it was days before he found you. Even then, it might still have brought you back but I always thought it had to be because you thought he wasn't coming. That no one was."

"No, that can't be right. If anything, I'd never want to leave you alone."

"I don't know. I missed the attack while I was away at school. He came and got me to- When we buried you, he made sure I was there."

"Oh no, Ship. I'm so sorry."

"I missed being there for both you and Inuyasha when you needed me. It took a long time for me to make peace with that. Sesshoumaru was- well, he wasn't **nice** about it but he understood. We talked a lot. He started training me after that to keep us both busy and to make sure I could defend myself if shit ever hit the fan again. Which it has."

"What about Rin? Wasn't she still there to keep you company?"

"She was taken captive with you. You died together. He- Well, Sesshoumaru sort of lost it for a while. He left and didn't come back for months at a time. Ryota confronted him several times, even Kikuko-sama came around some, but he couldn't really hear them. He found me whenever he'd come back just to talk for a little while but it was years before he really stayed in the West again. By then, the humans in the area had pressed farther in than we all had realized and he lost the will to beat them back. Slowly, they built closer and closer until, about two hundred and fifty years ago, we gave up and shuttered everything. Been living like nomads ever since, reinventing ourselves over and over. Sometimes, I have trouble remembering who and what I'm supposed to be in public."

"Oh, Shippou. I'm so sorry."

"I'm not telling you this to make you feel guilty. This is just what's happened. I'd be lying if I said I wanted everything to change. I like who I am, I love my Mate and our life together, but everything else, that's all been pretty shit and if we could save everyone who was- If we could save you and all of the innocent lives lost in that last battle, I would do just about anything. It isn't up to me, though; it's up to you. That's cruel and unfair and I know that. Just, please, really think about it."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. I'm-" she yawned widely, "I'm losing control of my eyelids."

Sesshoumaru chose that moment to walk back inside, stiff and scowling. Shippou filled him in.

"I told her. But you should have. We're trying to change this remember? You want to do better; I want to make sure they're safe. Don't chicken out on me now." Frustration aside, Shippou's face shifted to one of serious concern. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes. Not a crisis, just a scare. Where were we? You are moments away from sleep." he said to a heavy-lidded Kagome.

"I might be but I have questions. So, answer me this: why let any of this happen at all? Why let Inuyasha leave here last time? Why let Katsurou sentence you to this Mating when you clearly don't want it in the beginning and then it makes you miserable in the end? Why didn't you stop everything right here when we were standing right in front of you?"

"Inuyasha's death and your visit to the West are inextricably linked, and critical to peace in the region and the future of the West. The connections you made with the lives you touched change the immediate and distant future."

"Oh, you mean like healing Kouhei?" she asked Sesshoumaru. He nodded.

"Indeed. He would have remained without his youki his entire life without your help. He grows to become a force for change in the attitudes of youkai towards humans in the East, allowing for the growth that resulted in all of this." He swept a hand out towards the city. "He also protected the families of those he made alliances with and he fathered his own ryuhanyou with his human Mate for many hundred years."

"Wow."

"Yes, Kagome. Your one visit to the West was a stone in a still pond, creating ripples of change and altering the reality for humans and youkai in the future. Your permanent presence there will change much more. I have considered many possibilities to alter your fate, limit your involvement, but I cannot see another way."

Shippou saw the resignation and doubt in her eyes and decided to help.

"Every future we tried to work out, well, they all begin with you changing the minds of those daiyoukai you already met, and a few more you haven't yet."

"No pressure or anything." Kagome scooted further under the blanket, thinking.

"No, it's lots of pressure. I know that. It isn't easy, what we're asking. We're basically asking you to make Pop fall in love with you."

Kagome sat ramrod straight and put her mug down on the table. "Whoa, hold on. How do you figure that?"

"Deepening the Bond is basically that: you'll be more intimately intwined than any other human has ever been to another soul." Shippou looked right into her eyes. "It's an intimidating thought, and if you agree, we'll tell you everything we know about what to expect."

"No. I'm not ready to think about that. Anyone… else. I can't." She shook her head. "I loved Inuyasha for so long and I still do. I know what happens in another year and a half but that has nothing to do with love. Our situation is complicated and weird but I can put it in a box as an arranged marriage based on mutual need and leave it at that for now."

"Before we leave it," Shippou held up a hand, "I want you to know what we're actually asking and for you to have all the information. Once it's done, the strengthening of your Bond is irreversible, invasive, and you may be stuck with each other for much longer than you've realized."

"Huh?"

"The kit is referring to the prospect that fully Bonding a human with a daiyoukai of great power may extend your life many times over. There is no research we can do on the matter."

"Thank you, Mr. Humblebrag." Shippou groaned.

"It is only the truth."

"Is that really true? My life?" she asked, breathless.

"It may be true. The dragon's Mate is a human only, not a miko, but she has surpassed four hundred years old and appears no different than she did on their Bonding day. I do not know how **our** energies react to each other in the long term. As I said, it has never been done."

"But I could live to see all of our friends die?"

Kagome looked at Shippou. He stood up and sat on the very edge of the couch next to her, hugging her close.

"It's not all bad. From personal experience, I can tell you it's rough losing the humans around you to time but if **we** could have that much more time together… Burying Sango and Miroku was hard but losing you- Momma, if you could have even a full human life, I'd be happy."

"Oh, honey. I'm so sorry. I feel like I've abandoned you. I hate that look in your eyes."

"It's not because I miss you, I do, and I don't care if we don't have forever together but you shouldn't have died there the way you did. We could have saved you if we'd found you in time."

Sesshoumaru decided to help the kit when the spark of interest lit Kagome's eyes. She had not refused them outright, she had allowed him to embrace her and returned his affection, she had listened and responded with her own questions. Perhaps, she was thinking seriously about helping them.

"You may live even to see your son grow into adulthood. To live a life long enough to see your goals and dreams fulfilled. Such is often the detriment of a short, natural human life. I understand and respect your hesitance but the lives of nearly everyone currently residing the West are at risk. It is a hard choice, but not if you consider that there is much more to be gained than to be lost."

"No, I see that but I just-" A wide yawn stopped Kagome's reply and Shippou looked over at Sesshoumaru. "I'm not ready to love anyone again. I can't imagine yet what that feels like. And you? You don't seem like you want a relationship at all. You, the past you anyway, has explained things, helped us get better, but then you've just forgotten about us entirely after we went home."

His eyes narrowed on her. Forgotten her? His life, even in her absence, was planning and discussing and preparing for the changes that having a true Lady of the West would bring about. She had lamented his relationship with his mother so he was attempting to reconcile with her. She had aided him in maintaining peace during the Council meeting so he was continuing their work. She had mothered Rin and forged a new bond with his ward he was currently enjoying himself. His entire household was anticipating her return with bated breath and their whispers of her kindness and uniqueness filled his sharp ears nearly every day. Forgotten her? He was not allowed to forget her. She surrounded him even hundreds of leagues away.

"I have not forgotten you. Nor has my entire household. I am distracted and battling in the West to protect my Lands from further invasion, maintaining the peace we won during that year's Council meeting."

"Oh."

Shippou watched her watching Sesshoumaru and sighed.

"I promise you that you have a real chance at happiness again, even if it wasn't your choice. He's not all bad. He's stubborn, like you, and he's passionate, like you, but he's pretty clueless most of the time so you're gonna need to be patient with him in the beginning."

"Wait, you sound like you're trying to fix me up. Hold on a second. I don't know how I feel about any of this. I understand logically what you're asking, but I can't face a new relationship right now." She scoffed. "I have another year and a half before either of us has to decide how to feel about this Mating. And you just gave me a **lot** more to think about. Let me just… do that for now."

"In your own time, miko, you will heal. Our Bond is predetermined and for that, for your lack of choice, I am sorry. However, to love again is a decision you alone can make. I will not suggest such a thing is required and neither," he narrowed his eyes at the instigating kit, "should your son."

"Oh, come on, Sesshoumaru! You guys might be opposites in a lot of ways but neither of you is stupid. You know as well I do that you both hope, even now, that you can be happy together for a few different reasons." he gruffed.

"Calm down. I asked for time and that's what I need. Whatever happens, isn't it up to us to decide?"

"I agree." Sesshoumaru said, leaning back into the couch.

"No, now it's my turn to be mad. We may not get a chance to talk about this again." He stood and paced around the room in frustration then stopped, glared at Sesshoumaru and pointed an accusatory finger at the wellhouse. "If she goes back there, not knowing how you feel even now, the same crap will happen all over again. Don't let this be for nothing because you're scared shitless to tell her the truth."

"The truth is that you are toeing a dangerous and impudent line, Shippou."

"No, your reluctance to open up to her is how we ended up in this mess in the first place! Your stubborn, emotionally constipated, high-handed heart shut out the only person who loved you enough to die in your place!"

"Whoa! Shippou calm down! Honey, it's not that simple- Wait, what? Die in your place?"

"He has clearly-"

"Don't you fucking dare, Sesshoumaru. You tell her the truth right now."

"This is neither the time nor the place, kit, and you are out of line."

"You wanna take this outside, old man?" Shippou growled, crouching threateningly.

"Shippou!" Kagome gaped.

"We are indeed going outside and I will explain the definition of 'tact' in detail before we return." Sesshoumaru growled. "Please excuse us for a moment."

Sesshoumaru rose and Kagome watched the instant fear on Shippou's face as he backed away towards the door as the daiyoukai walked calmly towards him.

"Don't you dare! Not in front of her."

When he was no more than a few steps away, the inu flexed his claws and in a flash, had Shippou in a headlock and was dragging him out the door.

"I'm a grown-up now, goddammit! This is abuse! Ouch! _Gah!_"

"Continue to struggle and you know what will happen. Do you wish to explain to your Mate, once again, why you are missing all of your hair?"

"Don't you hurt him!" Kagome called after them, flinching when the door slammed.

Kagome heard scuffling, gravel flying, and some half-hearted yelling but was deep in thought about what Shippou had said. She had sacrificed herself for him? Sesshoumaru was **scared** to tell her the truth of what had happened? Or was he scared of something else? Sesshoumaru actually got **scared**? As she thought, and the odd pair remained outside, her eyelids grew heavy. Tucking herself underneath the blanket entirely, Kagome decided to wait for them to return and close her eyes just for a moment.

Minutes later, Sesshoumaru opened the door quietly and Shippou followed him in.

"Do not ever speak that way around her again."

"I know and I'm sorry, okay? Akari is gonna kill me, by the way, if you ever melt my hair ag-"

"Quiet. She is asleep."

His own comments **had** been out of line, it was absolutely the wrong time to shoehorn love into the conversation, but he was so frustrated with the _waiting_ that he lost his patience. Shippou watched his second adoptive father stare at his sleeping mother with genuine affection. His golden eyes were soft and relaxed, taking in her gentle breathing and haphazard, unguarded sprawl on the entire length of the couch. Sesshoumaru's guard dropped and he bent over her, his hands carefully and tenderly tucked the blanket around her exposed feet.

The moment was rare but it nearly broke the kitsune's heart all over again to know Sesshoumaru was inches away from the woman who could make him whole but had forbidden himself from showing her his true feelings. She wasn't ready for that, Shippou knew, but it hurt to watch them dance around each other both then and now.

"I thought that might happen. You wanna stay with her?"

"She will not appreciate my presence in the morning. I also took the liberty of bringing some clothes for you from your collection left at my apartment."

"Ah, thanks. I didn't think yesterday was 'it' so I didn't pack. She doesn't hate you, you know. She doesn't even know you yet. Why don't you spend some more time with her while she's here? Let her see some of what we've done in her honor. It won't change anything, will it?"

"It might. Her exposure to our efforts may very well be the cause of her attempts in the future, or else, we may dissuade her from ever beginning them. I am unsure."

"Better safe than sorry then?"

"Hm. Perhaps mention a dinner together instead."

"The three of us, right? You don't want me to ask Akari and the youngest kits to come. That's a mess and a half she's not ready for. I don't want to confuse them either. I can't keep up half the time with all this 'future versus past' BS."

"No. The three of us, if you can manage it."

"I can manage it. Akari knows it's important. My Mate knew my mother before, after all."

"I remember. Take her out, away from the shrine, if she has the strength for it, and distract her. She needs time to digest the plan we laid out and this shrine is a memory in itself. She would do well to step away."

"Why don't you take her?"

"She would not want to be alone with me for so long at this point in our acquaintance and I cannot remain in her presence for so long without frustration."

"You can be honest about that at least. Okay, so I'll take her out, I dunno, shopping or something and then we'll go out for dinner tomorrow, if she feels up to it."

"No, not out. At my apartment. She is still weak and if she becomes overly tired, I do not want her to feel uncomfortable in public."

"Good point. You gonna cook then?" Shippou asked hopefully.

"Hm."

"Pulling out the big guns, huh?"

"Would you do any less?"

"No, I guess not. You're not as stupid as I thought."

"Good night, Shippou." Sesshoumaru said curtly. "Stay alert and notify me in the morning when plans are made if she agrees."

"Will do, Pop! Good night."

Sesshoumaru gave Kagome one more fleeting glance and left. The kit followed him to the steps and then caught the hefted bag thrown from the street and walked back inside. Shippou took off his shoes, grabbed a throw pillow from the armchair nearby, and laid down on the floor beside the couch. Thinking better of it, he sat back up, brushed some stray hair from Kagome's face and placed a featherlight kiss on her cheek before settling down to sleep.

"Good night, Momma."

"G'night, Ship…" she mumbled.

...

**AN:** So it was gonna be one chapter per season. Really it was. But when I started adding in the detail, setting up the rest, it just got too long. So, maybe the seasons are one chapter and maybe they're three. Like this one. There's another Spring chapter coming but I'm 90% sure that's the last one for Spring. Don't quote me on that, though. Thanks for reading!


	27. Chapter 27 - Separation:Year 1:Spring 3

**Author's Note:** I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 27 – The Separation: Year 1: Spring: Part III**

The next morning…

Kagome's eyes fluttered open as she woke feeling heavy and sore. The sight of the strange ceiling and her mother's living room was disorienting for a moment. Flexing her legs beneath the blankets, they felt stiff and overused just like her arms… and her back.

_'Overdid it, I guess. He had it coming, though.'_

Memories of last night came creeping back in and Kagome slowly sat up, groaning, and took in the room, rubbing her sore eyes. It was still very early. The pale sunlight streamed in through the familiar café curtain over the small, open window in the kitchen. Her mother didn't seem to be up yet if the dead silence of the house was any indication. There was a duffle bag that had been tossed roughly into the armchair.

"Who…?" She shook her head. "Coffee. First, coffee."

Kagome threw back the blankets and stood, centering her weight and testing her legs before walking forward to the kitchen. Straightening her sweater and pants and giving her wild hair a toss back into submission, she readied the coffee maker and turned on the faucet to fill the pot. The tiny moment of stillness gave her mind clearance to bring up everything from last night. Looking back at the couch, Kagome saw the pillow and blanket lying on the floor next to where she'd slept and wondered what had happened.

"Not that I don't have enough to deal with without them here."

Not ready to face all of the new possible catastrophes swimming through her mind, Kagome pulled out a pan and planned some breakfast instead. When the coffee pot had dripped its last, Kagome caught the sound of a 'huff' of effort and a heavy, crunching step in the gravel through the kitchen window. Was Souta back already? Pouring a cup and heading outside in her pink house slippers, the miko peered curiously around the corner into the backyard to find an unexpected sight. Before he could notice her, she concealed her aura and her scent just to watch.

Shippou was wearing the same black t-shirt and had added a matching pair of sweatpants with his concealed, brown hair tied up in a high ponytail. He was barefoot on the cold ground, and wielding what must be the two swords Sesshoumaru had mentioned. If he noticed her quiet approach, her kit didn't show it but continued the slow kata in a wide circle around the stone paths. She watched as his curved blades glinted in the early morning light, following each other through the air with practiced control. His eyes narrowed on some phantom enemy in the distance as he snarled through another swift series of turns and slashes. Kagome lost sight of the swords several times as he moved too quickly for her to follow.

While pride and peace settled into her heart seeing he could defend himself, her mind bored holes in the logic that he needed to. Her son was now a warrior trained by the Lord of the West. He had probably used those blades to end lives and the thought of her bright-eyed, effervescent little kit hardening in such a way brought unexpected tears to her eyes. Maybe if things hadn't gotten so bad for them, he wouldn't have to use the ferocity she could see on his face. Kagome wanted to replace his fanged grimace with the happy smiles he had for her yesterday.

Then, she got an idea.

Downing the rest of her coffee and quietly setting the mug down, Kagome closed her eyes and reached for the bulk of her power for the second time in twenty-four hours. It was shallow from disuse and weak from her low energy but just for now, here in the safety of the shrine yard, she could afford to play just a little. He still hadn't noticed her so she began the game as they always did. Shippou had done so much for her, helped so much, maybe he'd like to relive a happy memory with her. She stepped out of the shadows of the house and planted her feet with a deep breath, raising an arm high into the air.

"Five!" Kagome yelled from the corner of the house, dropping her guard and letting her reiki free.

Green eyes popped open wide, and Shippou nearly broke his neck turning around to find her with his mouth hung open. His mother was standing on the stone path, in fluffy slippers and the clothes from the night before, with an ear-splitting smile and five orbs of her power floating in a loop over her head.

"You ready?" she goaded happily.

"Momma…" he said with a sloppy smile. "You… you remembered?"

"I asked if you were ready, Ship?"

"I- Uh huh. Yeah. Yes! Let's do this!" Shippou planted his feet and concealed his blades again.

The twin blades blinked from his hands and reconnected with the silver chain at his neck with a light tinkle of metal. Youki-infused blades and kitsune magic were a match made in heaven and Shippou was a master of both. Kagome blinked confused for a second then he held out the chain from a distance and she nodded, understanding. His smile and anticipation grew as whispers of her power reached him across the yard, caressing and welcoming his familiar aura.

Her kit's happiness was palpable and she could feel it radiating warmly around him now that her own power was awake and open. His energy was different, she noticed. Darker and more varied in color and intensity. He was still himself at the core but there was so much more. The familiar feeling of his natural energy was mixed with another lesser but wilder, more aggressive energy that barricaded itself against her probing. That was a question for later. She was supposed to be playing a game.

"It probably won't be much of a challenge compared to Sesshoumaru's training but-"

"No! Come on!" he whined. "Gods, this used to be fun."

"And you used to be small and much slower, my little prodigy."

"Aw! Don't take it easy on me. Show me what you've got!"

"That's my line." she laughed. "Okay, here we go!"

She'd have to be clever to get one over on him now. Not only was he grown, and far stronger and more agile, he was also a fully realized kitsune. Two orbs shot forward directly at him while the other three disappeared above and into the sunlight.

Shippou crouched, deciding to dodge them in the air, and launched into the sky. Sniffing the air and finding no one nearby that would see him, he shivered the glamour away, keeping his human form but freeing his hard-won tails and wild, red hair. Her happy awe was his reward and he preened at her clap of approval as he hovered thirty feet in the air. He watched her hands moving in small circles, directing her power, but he couldn't remember what each flick and turn meant anymore. It was exciting, though, and the old feelings of nervousness and happiness mixed together in the pit of his stomach as they played.

"You are something, kiddo. Heads up!"

And she meant it literally. While he was distracted, Kagome pulled one of the orbs straight down over his head. He dodged to the left only to feel a second one bearing down. Jetting to the right, he felt the needling tingle of her power brush his ear and had to swoop down and around to avoid the third, laughing as it disappeared into the gravel.

"Oh, now **that** was dirty."

"Shippou, you have six tails, two swords, and can _actually_ fly. I have to take it where I can get it. **Heads up!**"

The first two arced back around and pinched in from the sides. He grinned wickedly. Forming orbs of his own sky-blue foxfire, he met her power with a flick of his wrists. Two small explosions of their colliding energy burst in midair and she laughed once again.

"Little you would be so jealous. Whew!" she said, collapsing to a bench a few steps away. "That might be all I have in me for today, sorry."

He was to her in a flash, tails gone, and placing a warm hand on her back as she recovered.

"Little me has a lot to learn and so many tests to take! I don't envy him those. You look beat already." He offered her a hand up and an arm to lean on. "Come on, let's get you inside. I'll make some breakfast and we can talk about what to do today."

"We're doing things?"

"We are," he said with a grin, "if you're up for it."

Kagome nodded happily. "Then we're doing things."

…

After breakfast, Mariko was folding laundry in the other room while Kagome showered and changed. Shippou was scenting the air outside while he strolled a short distance into the forest.

A bird lighted in the tree overhead, chirping at no one, and Shippou held out a clawed hand. Instantly, the small yellow songbird fluttered onto his finger and he flared his power, infusing the lifelike illusion further to make sure it held for the next several days. The illusion bird flew away and disappeared into the forest. Shippou repeated the action several times with apparitions of many different birds. When he was satisfied the makeshift alarm system was secure, the kitsune jogged back to the house to check on his mother.

Kagome was just coming down the stairs, dressed in a simple, green button-down and dark jeans. Her hair was still damp but braided neatly and laid over a shoulder.

"You look nice." he commented as she walked past him and to the kitchen.

"Thanks, Ship." Kagome smiled warmly.

"She does, doesn't she?" Mariko replied happily, meeting Kagome at the kitchen table with a pile of laundry. She turned to Shippou and held something out to him. "Here's your wallet, dear. It was left in the laundry room."

"Thanks, Grandma."

"You have an actual wallet and everything." Kagome said, craning her neck over to see it. "This is just weird."

"Yeah, check it out. Legal documentation."

He handed the black leather bi-fold over for her inspection. There were cards, a few scraps of paper, and a driver's license. She pinched it and looked over at him. When he nodded, she pulled it out. He looked so serious and mature in his photo. His address was in a smaller town out west and further out in the country.

_'Good. He's probably safer out there.'_

"Your last name is Mikazuki? Like Sesshoumaru's?"

"Yep. I'm his legal son in nearly every lifetime we reinvent."

She smiled and handed the wallet back to him.

"He kept his promise then, I guess." Kagome said to the small picture then looked up at her son. "Do you feel like you had a father, or a mentor?"

"That's a tough one. Both? He teaches like a mentor but he scolds and gives life lessons like a father. I gave him plenty of opportunities to do both, believe me."

"I do. And did he love you? Be honest."

"In his way. Not like you, for sure, but you already knew that. You know what, though? Rin started asking for hugs all the time after you left the first time and he was so used to it with her, he didn't bat an eye with me. They weren't as good, obviously, but he tried. He read to me a lot. In hindsight, that was his version of quality time. Even if he wasn't as affectionate, I give him plenty of credit for trying. Especially after things got bad."

Kagome wanted to ask more about how he had grown up, how their lives had gotten to this point, and what "things" had gotten so bad but the downcast look in her son's eyes made her want to change the subject even more.

"I'm glad to hear it. So, what are we doing today?"

"Shopping! If you're up for it?"

"There are a few things I'd actually like to grab to take back so I need to find an antique store and do the best I can to blend them in."

"Okay, we can do that. Grandma, do you need anything?"

"No, but Kagome, dear, remember what I said and find something while you're out."

"Will do, Mom. Shall we?"

She looked over at her grown son, he nodded, offered her a hand, and they were off.

…

Shopping was easy and relaxed. They took their time, catching up and getting to know each other outside of the life-altering conversations of yesterday. Shippou, to his credit, didn't mention Sesshoumaru or the plot to change their futures until they were safely inside the third antique store of the day.

Kagome was deep in the consignment section lined with dusty vanities and dinnerware when she stopped to look over a tarnished collection piled on a tray.

"I still need a brush, I want to find a small mirror for Rin, and a- Oh! Finally! Look at this one. This might work."

Kagome picked up a tarnished silver, horsehair brush from a dark oak vanity and Shippou felt his heart leap.

"It has camelias molded around the handle… How pretty. Oh, and on the back, too. This will do. Doesn't look too conspicuous, right? Needs a lot of cleaning though."

"No… that's definitely the one."

He knew it because he had watched her use it every day until she died. About five hundred years ago, he'd returned home from school for the summer and his mother had told him about a shopping trip with her mother while the sickeningly sweet scent of vanilla told him she was lying at the same time. He remembered the moment distinctly because it was one of the only times he'd become familiar with the scent of her dishonesty. He'd dismissed it as a need for deception when talking about the future, which she was always careful about, but until now didn't realize it was because she had been shopping with _him_. Shippou's head spun for a moment with the realization that he'd been involved in his own plot already.

"This is weird… And maybe it really will work." he whispered to himself.

"What, Ship?" she asked, turning around from the display. "Whoa. Are you okay? You look pale all of a sudden."

She was on him in an instant, checking his face with the back of her hand and feeling his pulse. He smiled gently down at her beneath her gentle touches, then growled and bear hugged her.

"Whoa!" she laughed. "What's gotten into you? I'm not complaining but are you okay?"

"Yeah, actually. I'm happy to see you happy and I have a good feeling that all of this might work out."

Kagome hugged him back, said nothing, and continued looking around the dusty store, touching things here and there and lost in thought. Shippou finally lost the battle to leave the conversation alone after she turned a corner and gave him another nervous, side glance.

"You're quiet… You don't think this will work? Don't you think it's worth a shot?"

Kagome sighed. "If I agree to work past-Sesshoumaru like a sucker?"

The fox hissed through his teeth. "Damn, Momma. That's harsh."

"No, it's true." She put down the odd coffee cup she was holding and faced him. "I was thinking about it this morning. If I do this, I have the advantage of time and foreknowledge of his needs and wants. It's like… cheating."

"Which is different than any other part of your life in Edo **how** exactly?" He crossed his arms defiantly.

"It's not explicitly different, I guess." Kagome admitted.

"Until the last fifty years, I never realized what you'd left behind. There're so many advantages to living here. I had trouble understanding why you came back at all after the first accidental trip down the well. You hadn't met me yet, you and Inuyasha hated each other, and everywhere you stepped there was a demon, death, and disaster."

He was baiting her, hoping she'd defend her decisions. He wasn't disappointed.

"I also had a responsibility. And then we met," her eyes softened up at him for moment before steeling with determination, "and the choice was shirk it all and live with the guilt and failure, or go back and do the right thing. You know what happened next."

She turned the brush over in her hands and ran a finger along the petal of the largest relief on the back. He bent his head down and caught her eyes, shaggy bangs crossing his face. His glittering, concealed brown eyes looked tired and sad but resolute as he made his point.

"It's the same thing, Momma. What we're asking you to do? It's exactly the same. We can live with what happened and let it all go, or we can fight to make things better. We have. We've fought to stay here, fought to keep everyone we could alive, and fought to make sure you made it to **this** point in time so we can beg you to help us. I wish there was something we could do for you. Both of us would do anything but the truth is, we just can't. He's- Well, he is who he is in the past, and I'm still just a brat back there."

"An adorable brat." she grinned. "You're pretty smart, you know that?" He nodded his head. "But it feels wrong. Like I'm manipulating Sesshoumaru into a relationship he doesn't **really** want. It's just the Mating Bond and the after effects, right? Without it, he'd never feel the way he does now."

"Oh? And how does he feel now?" Shippou asked impishly.

"He…" Kagome nervously blinked back and forth between the brush and her son's knowing eyes, "he loves me… doesn't he?"

"He does," Shippou nodded, "and it's not because of the Bond. It started before that. He'd tell you if you ask him, and you **should** ask him."

Kagome clasped her hands together innocently and peered up him with exaggeratedly hopeful eyes.

"'Hi, sorry I blasted you across the yard and fell asleep during the heaviest conversation any of us has ever had. By the way, do you love me?' Yeah, that sounds just… great. Really sensitive."

Shippou burst into laughter and drew the attention of the clerk at the front of the store.

"Pfft! Kami in heaven, please do it just like that. I'll snap a picture of his face and share it with everyone we know."

Kagome smacked his arm and the slap drew the attention of another shopper a few feet away.

"Sorry!" She waved to the gawking patron then turned to her son. "This is serious, Shippou! Don't you have any conflicting feelings about this? Or is it all too old and buried for you to understand how I feel?"

"Of **course**, I loved Inuyasha but it was like- he was like a big brother, not a father figure. It's just the way we were together. Sesshoumaru is completely different. For you and for me."

"He has a memory of me being someone I'm not yet. And he loves **her**. He's made some saint of this person in his head and then had five hundred years to brood about what an ass he was."

"All valid points," Shippou inclined his head, "and I'd agree with you if it weren't for one critical flaw in your reasoning: he loved you before the Bonding ceremony."

"Bullshit."

"Language!" he chuckled. "Without your memories or emotions softening his heart, without the benefit of years of brooding, and without you having been a martyr for his sake. If you do **nothing** differently between now and the ceremony, he will still love you long before shit hits the fan. He sure as hell won't say it out loud but I know the scent of my **mother's** love well enough, better even, and it wasn't all for me and Rin."

An eyebrow rose into his hairline and he gave her that kitsune grin, waiting for her to get the point.

"See? Cheating. Damn it!" The tears welled up and Kagome turned away from him to get it together.

Shippou walked up behind her and placed his chin on her shoulder. She leaned her head against his and took a deep breath. Loving someone else was not on the agenda for a long time as far as she was concerned. Being happy was more than welcome but accepting Sesshoumaru as a lover?

"Take it as a hint from the universe, Momma. After we moved to the West, and after the Bonding ceremony, things were really good for a while. He made you happy because he **tried** to make you happy. You made him happy, too, from what I could tell. You also pissed him off just by being yourself but that's nothing new." Her son smiled wistfully over her shoulder and then straightened up.

"Thanks a lot." Kagome sniffled, and turned to face him.

"Then Sesshoumaru got some bad advice and everything changed, but before that, you guys were really into each other without any prodding. I know it for a fact because my room was just down the hall and-"

"Zip it, Ship. I get it." she scowled, then turned thoughtful. "Who'd he get the bad advice from? And what was it?"

"His mother…" he drawled, thinking, "who got it from someone else, if I remember right. I was just a kid, remember. Sesshoumaru told me that she ran the intelligence ring that gathered information to report to the Council, just so you know, and she reported everything back to him **first**. One of her spies heard somewhere that Katsurou was planning to attack the West once you guys were fully Bonded and had gotten pregnant with a hanyou heir they could use against you."

Kagome turned six shades of pink but continued, swallowing the longing for how badly she still wanted more children sometime in the future. That was another problem left unresolved.

"But you don't know where the information came from exactly?"

"No and Pop won't- Wait, are you plotting with us?"

"I think I am." she sighed. "I'm not ready to talk about using him, using whatever Bond we create, to save myself but I'd like to try to stop the destruction of everything he worked his whole life to build, and that means stopping the attack on the West first. Of course, I want to save Rin and everyone else we can, too, but it seems like if we stop one, the other falls in line, is that right?"

"Maybe. Probably. Even if you prevent the massacre at the Palace, you still might end up a captive and if your Bond hasn't changed, he might not find you in time again and that's top of **my** list." Shippou took her hands in his. "**Please** don't go back without at least telling me you'll think seriously about saving your own life while you're still living in Edo. I want you, this you, to be around to see everything we've built. Please."

"Shippou, I love you and I don't want you to mourn me all over again. If this doesn't work, this visit might end up just a cruel memory. Of course, I'd love to be here to see you grow up but I won't throw myself at a man who doesn't want me just to live kami-knows how long after you're moved away and are living your own life. If we can't find a way to be together in a way we both agree on, then I can't let our Bond be the thing that saves everyone and I can't see us working out. I'll try to work on some other way **while**," she held a finger to his lips, "I consider what you're asking."

He grinned behind her index finger and she dropped the hand to let him speak.

"I get that. You're right, I guess, but you're in for trying?"

"I guess I am. I have until the ceremony to do to think about… the other thing, right?"

Shippou laughed just once at her obvious embarrassment. "Yeah. You guys meet up a few times in between but after we move is when it gets serious. I'll call him and let him know. He wanted to have dinner tonight by the way. Just us. Yes, I'm gonna be there, too. Don't give me that look."

"Good." she sighed. "Let's do it tomorrow night though, okay? I'm already tired and I want to spend some time with my mom."

"I get that." He winked at her. "I'll go call him and then be back in. You okay?"

"Yeah, I'll finish up and just meet you outside."

Shippou went outside to make the call and Kagome wandered over to the glass case housing the more delicate items. Pins, combs, and necklaces all lined the clear shelves and then a pair of matching enameled mirrors caught her eye, covered in tiny, detailed wildflowers. Rin would love one and the other, she could keep for herself.

Last on her list was a journal. Mariko had been very clear that writing had helped her recover from losing Kagome's father and once she was back home, and living alone, it would help to write down what had crossed her mind that day.

_"Write it all down." Mariko had said. "The good and the bad. It helps you to understand how you're growing into this new person now that he's gone. You **will** become a new person. And she will be wonderful when she's had time to heal and rediscover herself."_

Perusing the dusty shelves full of old books wouldn't help her find a blank journal but it was nice just to browse. A book of classic Japanese poetry caught her attention and Kagome fingered the spine and tipped the book down to look it over.

_'Rin would love something like this. Now if only…'_

And the dates were passable. It might contain several works that were not yet written but who would Rin tell? The girl had found a passion and Kagome would help her enjoy it. The small cloth-bound book joined the brush and mirrors in her hands and she continued browsing. Further down the shelves, she spotted another collection of poetry and palmed it, too, but these were predominantly about lost battles and lore that illustrated, in particular, the failures of men.

_'I know exactly who'd like this one.'_ she thought sarcastically, lifting her arm to put the book back but pausing in midair.

"Maybe he'll feel less responsible for tragedies he can't control if he reads about even worse ones." she mused aloud, noting the chapters in the index highlighting heavenly blunders of the kami themselves.

Kagome hadn't planned on buying past-Sesshoumaru a gift, and she hadn't seen him read for pleasure or even knew if he did, but Shippou had said one of his memories was the daiyoukai reading aloud to him. He **had** saved her life twice. That deserved a used book at minimum. At this moment in the past, Sesshoumaru was apparently thinking about her and their future just like she was. If **this** Sesshoumaru was to be believed, she was on his mind even now and that… changed things.

While she was recovering, Kagome hadn't thought about him at all except to consider the nerves she felt at moving to the West. The inudaiyoukai, on the other hand, had come to visit her in the infirmary during her stay, made plans with his General specifically to acquaint her with him, and introduced her to the wonders of the Palace. All without her asking or prompting him to. Had he done it all out of duty? Kagome realized she didn't even know enough about him to decide one way or the other.

Sesshoumaru had shared some intensely personal feelings with her, too. That had to be an outlier for the daiyoukai. He was relaxed around the General but about as relaxed as Kagome ever was with out-of-town relatives. He might also have shared those intensely personal memories of Yaeko with her because Sesshoumaru hadn't wanted her to feel alone in her sorrow. Showing her that they had something in common and he understood.

He might not have visited because he was a Lord, she realized, who probably had better things to do. He was also giving her the space and time she had asked for, and that he knew from personal experience Kagome needed to recover.

_"I do not envy you the coming months."_

He had known what awaited her in Edo away from all the distractions of the West.

Her head swam with the idea that her son was right. Surely, the Lord of the West didn't go to such lengths for all of his guests. She was his intended and he was treating her with due consideration and deference, human or not. Maybe he didn't hate the idea of her as much as she wanted to believe.

_'Oh kami in heaven, he really might care more-'_

"Whoa, Momma, are you okay?"

Kagome nodded silently when Shippou returned from outside, feeling deep down that her revelations were correct. Gods, was Shippou right? Was he already bonding with even the **idea** of her? And why did that make Kagome so damnably nervous and unsettled?

…

After checking out and putting her things in the car, the sun on Kagome's face felt warm and soothing after her near-panic attack in the used book section.

"So, what's next?" the young woman asked.

She found herself eager for a distraction while still shaking off the revelations about her future husband.

"Well, my plan was just to take you out for a while so we can do whatever you want to. Is there something you want to do?"

"How about that park across the street?" She pointed to a gateway through a low stone wall and an expanse of green beyond. "Wanna just go for a walk? I love the shrine but it's awfully gray and I already miss the woods."

"Now **that** is a great idea." he smiled. "This one is pretty small but it has a pond near the back corner that's calm and usually not swarming with humans. Sorry."

"I get it. I'm not fond of all humans all the time either. Perfect." she agreed. "I could hear Sesshoumaru's influence in that 'humans' comment, though."

"Probably. It's hard not to pick **something** up after five centuries together." he laughed.

They stored her purchases in the car and walked across the street to the park. Shippou pulled out his phone and sent a message to Sesshoumaru about where they were. It wasn't paranoia, he thought to himself, but he and Sesshoumaru had both been attacked here in the city and if Kagome wanted to go somewhere isolated, it was just plain smart to let someone else know where they were. The reply came that the inu was working but could make it there within the hour if he was needed. A gentle touch to his arm brought Shippou's attention back around.

"Hey, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just letting Pop know where we are."

"That really is adorable. When did it start?"

"Oh, way before you-" Shippou stopped talking and cleared his throat.

"Died? It's okay. You've both told me. I understand. Don't tiptoe so much."

"It's just- It's hard. I've been avoiding you and that conversation your entire life, and we've been keeping tabs on you since you were born," he glanced nervously over at her for a reaction, "and now it feels weird to say it all out loud when you're standing right here."

"It's been a long time for you. Longer than I can actually imagine, Ship, but now I'm plotting with you, remember? We're gonna try to stop the worst from happening. I don't know how, but I can try."

A pale, brown eyebrow lowered in doubt. "You're awfully level-headed about this all of a sudden."

Shippou watched Kagome walk slowly and thoughtfully past a couple sitting close to each other on a large quilt in the sunshine. The strangers were talking back and forth about nothing in particular and each wore easy, relaxed smiles. The kitsune heard his mother sigh and then she turned her saddened eyes back to the pathway ahead.

The filtered sunlight passed over their heads, through her hair, highlighting her eyes when she looked up and smiled. He stopped seeing her as his mother for just a moment and realized she was a woman who was lonely, lost, and tired. He and Sesshoumaru weren't the only ones who had been suffering.

"I've earned it." Kagome said, breaking the thoughtful silence. "I think losing Inuyasha was the last straw. The worst has happened, right? How much worse could it get?"

"Don't tempt Fate. She's a real bitch where you're concerned."

Kagome laughed loudly as they turned off of the cobbled path, headed deeper into the park on a flagstone trail.

Shippou took a deep breath of the warm, humid air and the wild forests of the past flashed in his mind. The danger and excitement of the unknown lurking amongst the trees. The woods around the Fortress had been protected, almost jealously, for centuries under Sesshoumaru's rule. Shippou had grown used to the close hemming of ancient trees and it was one of the things about the past he missed the most. This journey through the park, manicured and sunny though it was, felt as close as he could get now.

"Hey, look over there!" she pointed excitedly, picking up speed and breaking him out of his reverie.

"Yeah, there it is." Shippou nodded. "Cute, right?"

The small pond was still, larger than the average backyard pool, and covered in lily buds atop fresh, green lily pads that were still tightly bound and waiting for warmer weather. Songbirds flitted from the forest on their right and sped through the sunlight over the water, chirping their arrival and then disappearing again into the trees. Shippou watched and listened until they were out of earshot then exhaled. No unwelcome visitors around. Kagome shivered next to him as they stood beside the pond and Shippou peeled off his leather bomber jacket and hung it around her thin shoulders.

"Yeah, it is. Thanks." Kagome said, sitting down cross legged on the bank and pulling the warm coat further around herself. "Miroku would have loved this as a meditation spot."

Shippou flopped down lazily beside her, resting on his elbows and cocking one knee up to look like the textbook picture of relaxation.

"Yeah, I guess so… or as a spot to spy on the local women bathing." Shippou waggled his eyebrows.

"Oh," Kagome waved the idea away, "he quit that after they got married."

"Did he? I remember **you** complaining about him a few times."

"I'm an exception. He's like a big brother. He only pretends with me to make Sango annoyed. It's a weird game they play. Like he wants her to put him in his place or something."

"'Does.' Whew." Shippou sighed and sat up, palming the back of his head and giving his mother a strained grin. "This is still weird."

"I know. I'm sorry." Kagome's eyes softened and she laid a hand on his in the grass.

_'Put him in his place… Who could get through to Sesshoumaru like that? Make sure he doesn't take the wrong advice? Whose opinion would he listen to? Wait a minute...'_

Bright blue eyes lit up as Kagome sat up straighter in the grass.

"Oh! I have an idea…"

"What?"

"I need to think about it. I'll talk to you both at dinner tomorrow."

"Oh, now that's just mean." Shippou groaned and flopped back onto the grass.

Kagome's light laughter echoed across the pond.

…

After returning home with everything on Kagome's list, the trio made dinner and ate together around the kitchen table. Soon after that, the young miko grew sleepy and excused herself for the night. After hugging everyone around the living room and taking the steaming mug of tea upstairs, Kagome got ready for bed and braided her hair to hang heavily over one shoulder. Sifting through her drawers for something comfortable, Kagome threw on a set of light blue, silk pajamas and settled into bed.

The room was dark and silent. The laughter of her mother downstairs over something Shippou had said made her smile as she rested on the pillow. Her heart felt at peace for the first time in months and that gave the young miko an idea.

_'Maybe I should meditate for a while. It's been months after all and I'm not actually that tired.'_

Decision made, Kagome sat up and crossed her legs. Rolling stiff shoulders and neck to relax, Kagome set her posture, and then closed her eyes in the dark room of her childhood and slipped away.

Her reiki was tired and drained from spiritual malnourishment over the slow months of her illness and recovery. Kagome bolstered it and felt the core of her power grow as she infused her spirit with the tender happiness from the last two days. Satisfied her aura would recover soon enough, she centered it deeper within herself to rest untouched, promising herself not to use reiki again until she was stronger. Overexertion in the West had been crippling and she had no desire to feel so out of control ever again.

…With the exceptions of her forced hand in marriage, and the unavoidable move to an unfamiliar position in life and an isolated Palace in the mountains that was inhabited exclusively by youkai, of course.

Setting aside the trepidation about her future, Kagome found her heart was much more at peace. The frigid loneliness was abating thanks to Shippou's easy smiles and her mother's constant love and attention. Miroku and Sango had tried their best to be there for her after the worst was over but between the children and the shrine duties Miroku had taken over in her absence, they were both terribly busy.

The next emotional trials to overcome were her confusion over the situation with Sesshoumaru, and the apprehension over leaving Edo and everything she had come to call "hers" at the end of this waiting in two years. Kagome was deep in thought about how to proceed with her life when a frantic voice pierced the silent sanctuary of her mind.

"Momma!" it shouted.

There was a loud and desperate cry nearby but there was work to do, and the safe and secure void of her thoughts fought back for control.

"Kagome! Please! Wake up!" The shouting did not stop but changed direction. "I'm gonna have to just carry her!"

"Think! It will be futile if she cannot wake to activate the well." came another hurried voice.

Vertigo-inducing shaking made her mind swim and her focus broke completely. Sleepy, ocean eyes swam and fluttered open to a hazy image of her panicked son's flashing and fear-stricken green eyes. His clawed hands gripped her arms painfully tightly.

"Ouch! Shippou, what the hell-"

Shippou shoved a wad of clothes into her hands followed by a small, paper grocery bag of her other things.

"Finally! No time. Here! Take your robes and stuff. You're going home right now!"

"No- Wait. What are you talking about? What's wrong?"

"Your reiki! Your power was a fucking homing beacon for them. Goddammit, I didn't think!"

"No, you did not." Another voice rumbled behind her son, and a tall and imposing shadow filled the doorway of her bedroom. "Come, Kagome. You must leave now. We have only minutes."

"Sesshoumaru?" she squinted.

"Come." he said more urgently, holding out a hand.

Kagome swallowed, remembering the last time he'd said that to her with a hand outstretched.

"But who-"

"Our enemies have found you. There are no miko left who hold such power. We did not think to warn you against centering yourself. The prolonged exposure of your aura drew our enemies to you and the shrine."

"Everybody, shut up!" Shippou yelled. "They're gonna be here any second! Move it!"

"Who's here? What about my mother?" Kagome questioned, growing more panicked by the second. "My brother will be back tomorrow or the day after, too. What about him?"

"Your mother has already left at my urging. She bid me give this to you," he handed Kagome a handwritten note, "and has vowed to warn your family. I promise to keep them all from harm until we can neutralize the threat. Now please, we must leave. We can save the well from becoming a target if you are gone before they arrive. I will carry you, if you will allow it."

"Wait!" Shippou yelled, sitting down in front of her on the bed with a pained look. "I'm not- It's not that we **want**\- I don't want you to go. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

Kagome sat on her heels, leaned forward, and hugged him tightly. "It is not. If anything, it's mine. No matter what happens, I'm proud of you and I love you."

His voice dropped to a whisper in her ear. "Tell me you'll be back, tell me to- Damn it, I don't know… tell me to scrub behind my ears one more time, tell me you-" His voice broke and he buried his face in her neck, breathing hard. His fingers gripped her tighter, almost bruising her ribs, but she held him closer and rubbed his back. "Two days is not enough. I'm not ready to let you go."

"I promise you, honey, I'll do everything I can so that you don't have to." Kagome looked up over her son's shoulder to answer Sesshoumaru. "You take care of him. And yes, fine. Carry me. Those are for you two." She pointed a small stack of wrapped things on the corner of her desk and he nodded.

"Pop, you should let me carry her-"

He was interrupted when a small bird appeared outside the window, chirping shrilly and flapping wildly against the glass.

"Shit. Incoming!" Shippou shouted, pulling away and heading for the door.

He ripped his swords from their concealment at his neck, dropped the glamour, and disappeared down the stairs faster than Kagome's eyes could follow. Kagome turned desperate blue eyes on Sesshoumaru and pointed down the stairs.

"Can't you take care of them? Why does he have to go?"

Sesshoumaru opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by a shout from the kit outside in the yard.

"It's my job, Momma! Pop, get her back safely or I'll melt **your** hair next time!"

"Hardly a threat," he scoffed, "but we must leave now."

"Okay. His **job**?"

Kagome stood, bundled the clothes into the paper bag, still waiting for an answer when Sesshoumaru stepped forward to pick her up and waited for her permission. Kagome nodded and he lifted her from the floor with a sharp inhale and a fanged grimace.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Another time, miko. Hold on."

She gripped Sesshoumaru's neck tightly and pressed her head into his chest, preparing for the jarring feeling of lurching forward at youkai speed.

But it never came.

Sesshoumaru dashed down the stairs, out the front door, and was still jogging over to the wellhouse just as the first sounds of battle reached her ears. The ringing of metal and the bellows of battle cries constricted the heart in her chest and Kagome felt the blood drain from her face.

"Will he be okay?" she asked fearfully.

"There are likely to be only a few sent to catch us off guard. Their army grows smaller each time he meets them in battle." Sesshoumaru said with pride, still running. "He is a master in his own right, even if his methods are often less than conventional."

"Thank the kami. If **you** can complement him, I'm satisfied. You still can't just come out with a 'yes' or 'no,' can you?"

"Hm."

They reached the wellhouse in seconds even at a normal pace and he pried open the doors with a foot, scenting the air for intruders. Shippou seemed to be keeping them all busy in the main yard, taunting and pelting them with foxfire to keep them distracted and away from his parents. Kagome stared at the dark well and sighed.

"Well, goodbye then." the young miko said defeatedly from his arms.

"Goodbye, Kagome. Think hard on what we ask and perhaps next time, we will have more time to discuss."

It was a pitiful excuse for a farewell, he mentally cursed. The daiyoukai hated the distance between them now even more, knowing it would remain until she came back. But when would that be? Why would she? To see her son, undoubtedly, but what hope did **he** truly have for seeing her again? For forging anything like a new friendship with his still-future Mate?

His thoughts were cut off when he felt the cool tip of her nose and warm lips pressed against his left cheek. Amber eyes went wide in surprise and Sesshoumaru looked down at her, confused.

"Kagome…?"

He could smell the citrus of her nervousness and see the embarrassment in her cheeks but still she looked up at him.

"I thought we were in a hurry and you're spacing out. If you put me down, I can just climb down on my own."

She didn't know why she'd done it. It was an impulse. He responded with an impulse of his own. Sesshoumaru lifted the miko closer so he could brush her cheek with his, breathing her in as much as he could. His silken hair whispered against Kagome's face. Her contented, barely audible sigh gave him more hope than he'd had in nearly five hundred years.

"Foolish woman. You can barely manage stairs. Be still."

And she gripped his neck tightly again just in time for him to leap neatly to the bottom of the well, earning another quick inhale of breath as his eyes slammed shut.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Do not concern yourself." the inu clipped.

Sesshoumaru leaned down, letting Kagome slide forward and onto her feet before righting himself with a groan. She fussed nervously with her pajamas then straightened to face him. Clearly, whatever was paining him was off limits as conversation.

He suddenly stiffened and turned to growl threateningly at the wellhouse door. The scent of an opponent he recognized was growing stronger.

_'He cannot find her here!'_

The inudaiyoukai swallowed and looked down at Kagome, taking a chance and both of her small hands in his. He spoke quickly and clearly, checking the streetlight shining through the crack in the door between every few words.

"If you wish to aid us in forging a deeper Bond, the quickest and most effective way is to challenge my instincts and my male pride. It has rarely been questioned by anyone **but** you, however, you are singularly accomplished at rousing my need to put you in-"

_'your place.'_ Sesshoumaru considered the curious, cerulean gaze that would instantly turn violent if he finished that sentence. Who was he kidding? His Mate did not take orders but he needed her to understand his meaning above all else.

"-my need to prove you wrong. Use it to your advantage should you decide to-"

Before he could finish, the door to the wellhouse exploded, sending shattered wood flying over the well and clattering down on top of them. Sesshoumaru dove over Kagome, hunching to protect her from the shower of splinters and dust filling the small space in the well.

"Found your hideaway, little mouse." said the intruder, brandishing a frighteningly large scythe whose wicked, curved blade was glowing a crimson red. "Still standing, Sesshoumaru?" The dark-haired young man raised his chin defiantly. "Surprising."

Kagome could feel the condensing youki in Sesshoumaru's right hand and forced her eyes to remain on the attacker as the inu prepared his assault.

"Retreat, pup, while you still can." the inu threatened.

"I am not a dog! And **you** are stalling." sang the assassin.

"Not anymore."

Sesshoumaru raised a hand and a pale green whip materialized between them, glowing with venomous intent and fastened tightly to his right hand. With a loud crack, the attacker was thrown back from the well.

"Will you be okay?" Kagome asked desperately, checking him over.

More concerned for his wellbeing even now, he marveled. Sesshoumaru ended the whip, reached forward with both arms, and embraced her roughly. Hugging her small body against his chest with his head tucked neatly into her shoulder, Kagome laid a warm hand against his back. The inu was shaking when he released her.

"Thank you…" he said, the barest hint of a grin on his face. In the next instant, a roar of displeasure from the attacker outside ended the moment. "Now go! Goodbye, Kagome, and think on all we have said."

"Be careful!"

Sesshoumaru leapt away without a backward glance and Kagome felt more alone than she had in weeks. The well lit with power beneath her feet now that the foreign presence was gone, and the miko felt the dizzying and unsettling feeling of falling rise from her toes to drown her.

_'Goodbye.'_ Kagome thought sadly, listening to the sounds of battle from outside. _'Please be okay…'_

…

It was still the middle of the night when Kagome fell to her rear in the empty dirt well of ancient Edo, alone and cold. The sound of crickets and a gentle wind through the grass was a stark contrast to the thudding of heavy blows and the ringing of swords from only a moment ago.

_'They could both be dead now for all I know.'_

"Goddammit! Why is everything always so screwed up?!" she yelled at the bottom of the well. "I can't even recover from one fuck up without the world blowing up again! Enough is enough." She stomped a foot. "I'm tired of feeling like this."

Always on the wrong side of luck. Always left behind. Always finding out the truth after everyone else. How had she allowed this to become her life? Kagome Higurashi was not a plaything of Fate. Not anymore. Her eyes narrowed on the heavens and the heart in her chest began to pound as a fiery determination she hadn't felt in months hardened into purpose. From here on out, she would carve her own way forward. Some things about her future couldn't be changed but it was time to grab the reins again and whip her life into shape.

"Fix it, Kagome. Lift your chin and get to work. Pouting at the bottom of the well won't solve your problems."

Mind made up, Kagome started to climb the packed dirt walls of the well but made it only a few feet before the cold, dry dirt crumbled and gave way. Landing heavily on her ass, her weak arms burned with the effort of pulling up her own weight. The miko stood, recovering her breath, and thought out loud.

"What the hell am I going to do now? This a great start…" she mumbled, brushing the dirt from her thin pajamas and gathering her strength to try again.

"Lady Kagome? My Lady? Is that you?" came the question from above.

"_**Ahhh!**_"

Kagome screamed her surprise and Inaba plastered his hands over his ears. A slow moment passed, and Kagome uncovered her head and peered cautiously upward. The outline of a helmet she recognized shone dark against the moonlight filtering in.

"Oh, Inaba! You surprised me. I didn't realize it was you."

"I have been awaiting your return." he said with his fingers in his ears to clear the ringing of her scream. "Your companions seemed to think you would be gone much longer. Why are you in this dry well? Why do you smell strongly of milord and… so many other unfamiliar things?"

"Spoilers, Inaba. Spoilers." At his confused look, she continued talking up at his dark outline. "I can't tell you, sorry, but I ran into Lord Sesshoumaru on my way home. I'm also sorry to ask it of you but can you please help me out of here? The dirt and my arms aren't cooperating."

"Of course, milady. Step back, please."

She heard the rustling of armor being unhooked and laid down as she stepped against the wall to give him room.

"Coming down, Lady Kagome."

He dropped down into the well, gained permission to carry the intended Mate of his Lord, secured her to his back, and made a tall leap to land neatly in the grass above. Kagome watched him silently assess her for injury as she straightened herself out, his nose twitching.

Inaba, inudaiyoukai that he was, had a strikingly similar build to the others she had met. He kept a short crop of silver hair above warm hazel eyes and was a lean and powerful daiyoukai with one notable exception: he was scared of her. Rather, he was nervous about being in such close proximity to the future Mate of his Lord. This particular soldier was placid and deferent compared to the others she had met in the West. Kagome **was** winning him over during his stay but it was slow going. He was respectful, distant, and accommodating but poor company.

Inaba considered the human before him. The last time the soldier had seen her in Edo, she had been fragile and grudging. Now, however, the future Lady appeared angry, impatient, and much more animated. What had happened over those two days visiting her family?

"Welcome back, Lady Kagome. Are these your- Milady! Forgive me!" The male turned away and began removing his over coat. "Your state of dress is- Here, please cover yourself with my haori."

"Oh, this?" Kagome looked down and realized he probably thought the silk pajamas she was in were her undergarments. "Sorry. Traditional… nighttime… travel-wear from my parents' village." It was not entirely a lie.

"How odd." he murmured, still not facing her.

Scuffling down the hill caught the attention of the soldier and his head whipped around to assess the threat. Inaba jumped in front of her in a wide and ready stance before relaxing with a tired sigh.

"The monk, milady." he said over his right shoulder.

Kagome caught the first sounds of her friend's voice from down the hill.

"…from the well! It could be Kagome!" Miroku yelled back at his wife.

"It's okay then." Kagome laid a hand on the soldier's arm and walked past him.

"Why do humans yell so often?" the inu questioned as she passed.

"Right, human lessons. I forgot." Kagome giggled. "We have pitifully inept ears and can't hear each other at long distances like you can… unless, of course, we yell."

"Ah, I suppose that makes sense." he nodded.

"Glad I could help. Hey, Miroku!" Kagome waved happily.

"Kagome! You are- you look-" His relieved smile was a reflection of her own.

Kagome closed the distance between them with a short jog and collided roughly with his chest with a giggle. Inaba stood aghast.

"Kagome-sama, you shouldn't be so familiar with another male! What would Lord Sesshoumaru think?"

Used to her overfamiliarity, Miroku only smiled and returned her embrace, thrilled to see some life in her steps.

"Oh, Inaba…" Kagome shook her head, still smiling, then looked up at Miroku. "I look better, right? I feel better."

"Thank the kami." He pulled away to examine her, violet eyes flashing in the moonlight. "You are returned so soon. We thought you would be staying much longer."

"So did I." she sighed. "Look, it's late… or really early, whatever, so we both need to get some sleep for now but can I come for breakfast tomorrow? I have a lot to tell you. Both of you. Please don't be mad at me when I get it all out."

"Where are you going, Kagome?" Miroku questioned. "Are you not coming to stay with us?"

"No, I'm going home. My home. It's time." Kagome asserted. "I'll be fine, I promise."

"Do you know, I truly believe you. See you in the morning then. Inaba-san, look after her, please."

"On my honor." the soldier nodded and watched the monk turn away and start back down the hill.

"Good night, Miroku, and tell Sango for me, too, okay? Inaba, shall we?" Kagome asked, taking the first steps down the road.

The Western soldier walked silently behind the miko down the hill, out onto the road, and past the shrine. Feeling her determination growing, Kagome began to walk faster.

The young priestess took the first step up onto the porch and steadied her heart. Lifting the curtain, Kagome waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness of the abandoned house. The smell inside was different. When they lived here, the rooms had been laced with the scents of spices, roasting game, and the scent of flowers from the field outside. Now, it smelled of dust and ashes and the remnant sting of frost. That would have to change starting tomorrow.

Kagome turned on her heel, leaving her guard wondering, and padded back outside to gather firewood for the night. Finding the disappointing stack left over from last year, Kagome sighed. She should have known. Seeing her concern, Inaba volunteered his services.

"Allow me, Kagome-sama." he said from behind her, disappearing in a flash into the woods.

There was enough to light the brazier in their room, though… No. Her room. It would be her room now. Kagome swallowed the rising feeling of loneliness and got back to work.

This would be hard. It would take time, just like her recovery had, and that was okay. The difference was that before the idea had seemed like a sentence, but now the idea felt more like a challenge.

…

In modern Tokyo, the battle concluded and Shippou was burning the four bodies of the fallen assassins in a small heap at the edge of the woods where Sesshoumaru met him, breathing hard.

"He got away again but I got the rest. Did Momma make it back okay?" Shippou asked, not looking up from the makeshift pyre.

"She… did. I believe… she will be okay."

"Hey, are you- Oh shit. Not again." Shippou gasped.

Sesshoumaru was gasping with the effort of standing and the white button-down he wore was stained dark red from collar to hem on his right side and seeping into the silver hair falling over his chest. He remained standing for another few seconds, growling against the rising pain before losing the battle and sinking brokenly to a knee. Shippou walked over but left him alone, knowing that touching him now would only make him angrier.

"Damn it. I was afraid of that. I should have carried her."

"You were oc-" He growled again as the blood soaked further through his clothes and dripped to the ground, "You were occupied and I am not an invalid."

"Tell that to your shirt. Seven hells... it's worse than last time."

"It is not."

"It fucking is. Two hundred years ago, you could still transform. Last century, you could still hold a sword in that hand. Now you can't even lift your Mate. You were supposed to ask her to heal you, idiot."

"There was not time. The pendant is- _Hunh!_" The pain redoubled and the blood soaked into the fabric over his chest turned coal dark and sizzled through his clothes, burning them to ash over the open wound. The split in Sesshoumaru's flesh was now visible and Shippou flinched at the smell as much as the sight. His chest was torn open from his shoulder to his ribs. The right arm would have been severed completely during the battle if not for his mother's interference. The blood that had already dripped on the ground turned molten and melted the grass, reducing it to an unrecognizable, bubbling mass. Deep in the wound, cursed youki flared to life like crimson embers deep in his chest, burning the inu from the inside out.

"You are not allowed to open that back up anymore. I mean it, Sesshoumaru. If this happens and I'm not around to help, you could bleed out or burn to death all alone."

"Do not lecture This One on the dangers of cursed blades, kit. I am clearly aware of the repercussions."

"Then we understand each other. No more, Pop."

It was a deep wound to his pride but the kit was right. Incapacitated. His dominant sword arm was useless, dripping futility onto the dirt below. **He** was useless. Even if the daiyoukai used his left hand, which was arduously trained to be equally deadly to his right, the risk from running into battle was too great. He'd lose more than an arm this time with no way to return the limb now that his youki was diminished by the curse.

"It is worth it. I saved her from this, at least."

"You did."

"For all the good it did her in the end."

Shippou growled in exasperation.

"Always so defeatist! She's trying, Sesshoumaru. We have hope and it might not feel like things'll get better right now, but I have a good feeling they will."

"If you are done fantasizing about a future that may never come to pass, here."

Sesshoumaru held out the silver and amber amulet to the kit and let his left arm fall limply back to his side. Shippou took the necklace from his hand and fed a small amount of youki into the warm stone. A second later, a pale blue light exploded in a sphere around the gem, that enveloped them both in warmth and the tingling sensation of his mother's aura.

"Hi again, Momma." Shippou smiled.

Her reiki caressed his cheek but quickly left him to condense around Sesshoumaru, who was now swaying dangerously on his hands and knees in the grass over the growing pool of cursed blood.

"I am sorry…" the inu whispered to the aura surrounding and penetrating his injury, instantly soothing the throbbing pain. The gash slowly closed but a flare of foreign youki from the curse pulsed in defiance deep in the wound that would never truly heal. "Reduced to this. The ghost of you keeping us alive. It cannot end this way again."

…

Back in Edo…

An hour later, Kagome was sitting in her bedroom and changed into the familiar worn, pale blue sleeping yukata she'd loved. She sighed several times while smoothing the futon and quilt on the floor in preparation for sleep. This was her bed now. Her life.

_'You can do this.'_

The large, polished trunk in the corner was left open and a low table near the door sported a few discarded pieces of paper and a quill. Inaba called from the central room.

"My Lady? Do you require anything else this evening?"

"One second, Inaba. I'll be right out!"

Kagome left the futon, gathered some folded letters in her hands, and stepped quickly out of her room to meet him by the fire.

"I do actually need you to do something for me, and I'm afraid you're not gonna like it. Inaba, I'm giving you two letters to take to Lieutenant Kouji at the Fortress whenever it's convenient."

The solider looked the letters over but fixed his eyes back on the miko, confused.

"Both to the Lieutenant, My Lady? But this second one is addressed to-"

"I understand your confusion but I need this done and I can't get that far before spring is over." Kagome pointed emphatically at the letters in his hands. "**Both** of those in the hands of Kouji-san, please." Then she pointed at the third letter in his large hands. "Then this last one is for Sesshoumaru."

"For my Lord. Understood, Kagome-sama." Inaba bowed and turned for the door, relieved to be leaving the human village.

Kagome chuckled and Inaba turned around confused. "You don't have to leave right now, you know. You can wait until morning at least."

"I have been resting for weeks, I feel, since this assignment was handed to me. If you are well enough for me to leave, I will do so immediately."

"That makes sense but, Inaba?"

He froze in the doorway and turned back around.

"Yes, Lady Kagome?"

Her smile was bright and genuine in the firelight.

"Thank you for everything these past few months. Safe travels and tell everyone there I said 'Hello!' when you see them."

The Western soldier released the doorframe, relaxed his arms at his sides, and bowed to her.

"Of course, my Lady. If it is not impertinent, I wish you better health and happiness in this coming year as well."

"Thank you." Kagome inclined her head, still smiling. "Your wishes are welcome and much appreciated."

He dashed out wearing a grin of his own, and the young priestess watched him sprint down the road before launching into the clear, starry sky on his way West.

"Sorry, Sesshoumaru, but I'm going over your head… Remember one day that you asked for this." Kagome sang mischievously as she stepped back into her home to rest for the long journey to a new life, starting bright and early tomorrow.

…

Hours later, Inaba landed tiredly on the training field at the Western Fortress. First, he thought, to report to the Lieutenant and deliver the letters.

Dashing across the field, through the hallway and up the two flights to the General's quarters, he knocked quietly at the door. The General appeared a moment later, toting Haruto tucked into the crook of one arm. The kuma's pale azure eyes turned angry seeing the soldier Sesshoumaru had personally assigned to guard Kagome back here in the Fortress after less than a season.

"Inaba! You were assigned to stay in Edo through the summer. Report!"

"Don't bark at the male like that, Ryota." Kouji said tiredly from inside, rising to join Ryota in the doorway. "Let him speak."

"Apologies for disturbing your evening, General, Lieutenant," Inaba bowed, "but Kagome-sama bid me bring these letters to you. She has returned home, is now in better health, and vowed to stay in Edo through the summer."

Inaba handed the two letters to Ryota who was now much more confused than informed.

"Returned home? Now in better health? What happened to her?"

"She became critically ill after returning and was bedridden during the winter for almost two months. She is recovering well now, however, and regaining her strength. She traveled home to see her family two days ago and has just returned. My Lady bid me give everyone her greetings."

"Of course, she did. How terrible she was so ill." Kouji muttered. "Sesshoumaru has no idea, does he?"

"I doubt it. Between our campaign in the south and the patrols to the East, he has been absent much of the time. This letter is for you, Mate." Ryota passed the papers over. "Though why, I cannot guess."

"Milady said both of those were for the Lieutenant and bid me to hurry." Inaba said.

"For me? Most unusual. Thank you, Inaba. Please report on the Lady's condition to Lord Sesshoumaru before you retire."

"Hai! I have a letter for him as well. Please excuse me."

Inaba bowed and turned to dash down the hallway, headed for the Palace and Lord Sesshoumaru.

"What does it say?" Ryota asked, hefting a wriggling Haruto higher and peering over.

Kouji's eyes narrowed in concentration as he read then brightened and returned to Ryota twinkling with mischief.

"Oh ho! Our little dove learns fast. I am to depart as soon as I am able to deliver the second letter in person." Kouji chuckled, perusing the letter again.

"Why in the West would Kagome-sama send you a letter telling you to deliver a letter?"

"She pays attention, Mate. The second missive, my dear, is to Kikuko-sama."

"What? Why in the seven hells would she write to Kikuko?"

"She asks me to wait a week or so to deliver it until she regains some strength," he grinned at Ryota, "in case our Lady mother pays her a visit too soon."

"Bah! She'll not visit a human village at all, surely. What can Lady Kagome be thinking?"

Kouji reached over and tenderly stroked Haruto's soft, black hair.

"That Sesshoumaru-sama was a son before he was a Lord, and that is not a bond to be taken lightly."

…

The quiet knock on the study door was unexpected. The voice of the soldier he had handpicked to guard Kagome in Edo was even more unexpected.

"My Lord? I have a letter to deliver to you from Lady Kagome."

Also unexpected.

"Enter." came the quiet command.

The door slid open and Inaba stepped inside the dark study to find Lord Sesshoumaru sitting alone at the low table with a mass of papers spread out before him. Golden eyes narrowed on the soldier.

"Why are you returned from Edo so soon? Your orders were to remain through the summer."

Inaba swallowed nervously. "The Lady bid me to bring the letter as soon as possible."

_'Ordering This One's soldiers about **again**, miko…'_

Inaba passed the small folded parchment to Sesshoumaru with a bow and stepped back but remained in the room.

"You have something else to report?"

"Indeed, milord. Lieutenant Kouji wished me to relay that the miko was gravely ill until these past two weeks, has traveled to and returned from her home village, and is now regaining her strength in her own home."

"Gravely ill?" Sesshoumaru questioned.

"Yes, my Lord. She was ill with a human affliction when I arrived and spent almost two months in the healer's home before recovering enough to visit her family."

"Thank you, Inaba. You are dismissed. Please send Kenshin to the study on your way to the barracks."

Inaba bowed again and left hurriedly. Sesshoumaru stared the letter curiously.

_'Your grief overcame you then. Perhaps you are truly healing now.'_

The missive in his hand still smelled like her. Familiar notes of camelias and rain mixed with the ink and parchment, and Sesshoumaru inhaled despite himself. The inu unfolded the letter carefully and began to read.

_'Sesshoumaru,_

_I hope this letter finds you well. I have returned from the trip to my family home, like we discussed, and I promise I won't leave again before summer's end. I hope you're still planning to bring Rin to stay with us for the summer. She is most welcome. Tell her that the first of the wildflowers are already springing up!_

_If you're not too busy, you might consider staying for a few days yourself when you bring her. I understand you have lots of responsibilities but please think about it before your visit. I'll look forward to seeing you both._

_Warm regards,_

_Kagome_

_PS - And don't be mad with Inaba. He's only doing what I asked him to.'_

"Hn." He scoffed at the last line.

_'Presuming not only to disobey my request but order This One around as well. This woman…'_

Her handwriting was clumsy, irregular, and the language was overly familiar yet again. He chuckled just once in the dark at the realization that the letter was an embodiment of the woman who had written it.

The message was short and direct but it made the daiyoukai think. Visiting her in Edo, purely for the purpose of seeing her and spending time with her was a big step forward in their relationship. One he assumed was many months, if not the full two years, into the future. Was the miko ready to begin courting in earnest?

Did she truly desire his company?

Did he desire hers?

...

**AN:** This one took me a while, I know. I kept messing with it and messing with it but Spring is wrapped up nicely and Summer is going to be one of my favorite chapters so far. Next time, Kagome goes to kitsune school to see Shippou and meets a familiar daiyoukai who's there for a specific purpose...


	28. Chapter 28 - Separation:Year 1:Summer 1

**Author's Note:** I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 28 – The Separation: Year 1: Summer: Part I**

Summer had barely begun and the nights in the forests of Edo were still chilled by the cool winds sweeping in from the sea. The young priestess felt anything but as she reached the top of the stairs leading up to the shrine.

"Six more… Whew! I'm not gonna make it."

Kagome turned around, flicking her high ponytail across the shoulder plates of her battle armor, to stare out at the small village from atop the shrine stairs. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the clean, fresh air then huffed as she jogged back down the thirty-five steps from the shrine to the road. Red faced, sweat glistening down her neck and dripping from her chin, she reminded herself this was all for the better. Inhaling deep lungfuls of air, Kagome stopped and braced herself on her knees to recover when she reached the bottom. Her rest was cut short by the insistent voice of her tormentor.

"Your tea is getting cold, Kagome-sama!" Miroku called happily from the top.

"I don't want hot tea in summer, Miroku! I **want** to jump in the river."

"Relaxation is earned, Kagome. Back up now!"

"Give me a second, old man!" she shouted fiercely.

"You wound me!" He feigned shock with a hand to his heart. "I accept that your physical fatigue is sharpening your tongue. Shall we add to the number since you have the energy to jibe?"

"Miroku, ten trips up and down the shrine steps is pure torture."

"No," his mirthful eyes hardened, "we are rebuilding the strength in your body after months of illness and resting. You wanted our help in recovering so that is what we are doing. Less talking and more climbing!"

"I'm gonna let Shippou practice every trick he knows when he gets home, you just wait…" Kagome grumbled to herself, but grinning at the thought of seeing her son again through the pain in her legs and core.

"What was that, Kagome?"

"Nothing!" she chimed sweetly. "Coming back up!"

Kagome was thirteen steps into her fourth lap when she heard her name called from the road.

"Kagome-sama!" Kaede called.

"Huh? _Wah!_"

Turning around too quickly on the stairs in her boots, Kagome lost her balance and fell to her rear on the step above, giggling and panting at the same time.

"Goodness, child! Be more careful."

"Sorry." the young miko said, jogging back down to meet her mentor. "Do you need me, Kaede-sama?"

"Not immediately." Kaede said and held out a letter for Kagome to read. "I wanted to inform ye that we are to receive a new initiate in the coming weeks as I requested. Her name is Chisato and she will be coming from a village further south to stay here now that her primary studies are complete."

"Okay then." Kagome nodded, perusing the letter. "Will she be staying with you? Do you need me to do anything?"

"Not for the first several days. She will stay with me until she needs a house of her own. I shall introduce her to the village and acquaint her with the countryside. I will require your aid in assessing her skills. You and Miroku-sama, that is."

"No problem." The young miko passed the letter back. "Oh, and Miyoshi-san has thrown out his back again and needs rest. I've asked their neighbors to help keep them both fed while he recovers. I'm going back later to check on him but he needs some help with his fields or they won't be ready in time for planting."

"Perhaps one of the younger farmer's families have a pair of hands to spare?"

"Unlikely. Everyone is struggling to get ready this year since the weather stayed cool for so long. Maybe I should just offer to do it myself…" Kagome said.

"Kagome, I applaud your energy but it is not the duty of miko to till fields." Kaede admonished. "Our position is one of aid, I know, but ye cannot do everything."

"Oh, it's fine. I'm already the town weirdo." Kaede sighed and shook her head at the strange word. "What's a little more gossip? They're good people and they need help." Kagome nodded resolutely. "I've talked myself into it. I'll let them know this evening. Let me know what I can do to help when Chi- what was her name again?"

"Chisato. She apparently comes from a long line of miko with a prestigious history."

Kagome chuckled. "I saw that and she will no doubt be willing to educate us on her credentials when she arrives by the tone of that letter. This is good news, though. Well, let me know what I can do!"

"Very well. Sorry to disturb your… training?"

The elder miko gave a critical look up the stairs to the smiling and waving monk holding a cup of tea. Kagome laughed up at Miroku then left the elder miko to jog back up the stairs.

"Ha! See you later, Kaede-sama!"

"Kagome? Have you given up?" Miroku called down.

"Oh, you just wait until we get back to staff training! Then we'll see who gives up!"

"She's gonna be just fine." Miroku said quietly to himself, turning away from the fuming young woman to enjoy his tea in peace.

…

"Are you sure you are ready to journey alone?" Sango asked with a worried tone.

Kagome closed her eyes over the worn canvas backpack and took a deep breath. This was going to be hard for them, she knew. Kagome owed her best friends so much but right now they were fussing like helicopter parents facing an empty nest. Much more of those worried looks and added, unnecessary bundles and she was going to start snapping.

"Yes. I understand your worry and I appreciate it but I need to do something besides workout and help planting or I'm gonna lose it. Shippou is all settled back in to school by now and I want to go surprise him. I'll be fine. It's an easy trip and they'll be happy to see me."

"You have your hunting knife?" Miroku asked, checking her bag.

"Of course."

"And plenty of arrows?" Sango added, peering into the quiver at her back.

"Sango…"

"Is your bow in good condition after your practice yesterday? Perhaps we should examine the bowstring for fraying." the taijiya tried again.

Kagome grabbed her friend's fussy hands and stilled her with a sigh and a gentle smile.

"Sango? I know what you went through when I got sick. I am so sorry to have put you both through that. Look at me now."

Kagome stepped back, turned a quick circle, and spread her arms wide. Her wavy black hair was tied back in a long braid that brushed against the hem of her kosode. Her face and body were filled out again after months of eating properly. Her arms and legs were still thin but strong once again. Most changed was the bright twinkle that had taken up residence again in her stormy blue eyes.

"I am not her. I haven't been her for months now. I've worked hard the past three weeks to build up my strength and endurance. I need to do this for me. I need to prove to myself that I can do this; that I'm past being so weak."

Sango nodded, swallowing her frantic emotions. "I know. I do not doubt your capability. I only fear for your safety."

"And I love you for it. I promise I'm going to stay on the main roads until I get further south, then I'll cut through the countryside. We haven't been attacked by even petty demons in months."

"Kagome, just promise us that you will be careful." Sango said quietly.

"I will."

Miroku cut in front of Sango with a look before his wife could try stalling again.

"Then we have nothing left to say but safe travels and farewell."

Kagome reached around and pulled them both into a hug.

"I love you both. I'll be back in a few weeks or so."

Kagome lifted the curtain and stepped outside into the morning sunshine, armed to the teeth with her weapons and her courage.

"Where are my little warriors?" she called playfully around the house.

"Kagome-bachan!" "Kagome-bachan!" "Bachan!"

Kagome kneeled down and grunted when the three sprinting kids collided with her, knocking them all into the dirt. Laying in the middle of the road, Kagome laughed and wrapped them into a tight hug, nuzzling their sweaty little faces with hers.

"Oh, I'm going to miss you guys so much!" She sat up with another groan and looked at them all in turn. "Now, Satori and Shizuka, keep an eye on your Daddy and make sure he helps Kaede-sama and doesn't let her do too much. Komori, honey, you look after your sisters and your mom and give me a full report when I get back."

Two-year old Komori gave her a salute. Kagome stood from the dirt and brushed each of them off before taking care of her own dusty robes. Satomi, the more serious of the twins, looked up at the sky for a moment and then at Kagome.

"Obachan? Give Shippou a hug for us, too, okay? We miss him."

"I'm sure he misses you, too, but he's learning lots of new fun things to show you so let's cheer him on."

"**Hai!**" came the three cheers.

Sango chuckled behind Kagome and patted the young miko's back one more time as she settled her pack and weapons against her back.

"Give Shippou our regards as well." Sango said.

"Will do! Goodbye, everyone!" the miko waved.

Kagome turned away from her friends and their small family and headed south, away from Edo and out into the world.

…

Several days later…

Sesshoumaru found Rin sitting on the stone benches lining the training fields, enjoying the sun and watching his soldiers during their midday training. Sesshoumaru tucked the letter he had been reading away in a sleeve. The crunch of gravel underfoot warned Rin of his approach and she smiled over at him.

"Rin."

"Good morning, Sesshoumaru-sama!" she greeted him brightly. "Were you looking for me?"

"Hm. I am departing for the kitsune village in the south this hour. When I return, we will travel to Edo so that you may stay there for the summer. Have you packed?"

"No, I have not…"

His ward's attention was captivated again by the soldiers moving almost too quickly for her to follow. He joined her in silence, watching them for a moment. The young Captain was fending off three others with the full-length katana brandished expertly now by his single arm. Sesshoumaru remembered the conversation they had when he had lost the limb and felt satisfied that the pup had decided to maintain his employment instead of relinquishing the position and his pride. Looking down at Rin, his eyes softened subtly.

_'If it had not been for you, This Sesshoumaru might also have descended into self-pity or worse.'_

Rin had grown taller in the three seasons since her arrival and she looked every bit the part of a young Lady in this moment. Her fine, maple-patterned orange kimono and shining straight hair were a reflection of the pride she took in her appearance. However, her wistful sigh gave him pause.

"Rin? You are discontented?"

"Oh! No, my Lord. Forgive me. How long will you be gone?"

"Two days only. Negotiations should not be too arduous."

"Mm. I am glad to hear it."

Her attention was lost again to the soldiers and their combat.

_'Perhaps she wishes to train as they do? It is possible. Even the miko is strong enough for a human.'_

"You wish to train as they do, Rin?"

"I wish… Yes, I wish I could be so useful."

"Useful? You wish for employment?"

"I do not want to sound ungrateful, Sesshoumaru-sama, but yes."

"It is not ungrateful to want to better yourself. Consider how you want to do so and we will discuss it when I return."

His young ward rose gracefully, smiled and stepped closer. Without provocation, he raised one arm in welcome and Rin tucked herself against him. His large hand covered less of her back than he remembered but he laid it against her and the scent of orchids joined the sunshine of her happiness in his nose.

"Thank you for understanding." she murmured.

"Hm."

Rin released him, wished him well, and walked back to her seat. A pale blush dusted her cheeks as the young Captain laughed loudly when one of his sparring partners dropped his heavy naginata after tripping on another's foot. Thinking it best to leave his ward to herself as she contemplated, the inudaiyoukai turned around and left Rin to her thoughts.

Now, to the southern kitsune village and forward into his own plans for the future.

…

The same day…

Shippou was deep in thought over a low desk about how to proceed with his next assignment when an orb of reiki found him through the window and disappeared with a 'pop!'

"Momma!" he grinned and dashed away.

The other eleven kits in the room all immediately jumped up from their assignments, bumping desks and scattering tools everywhere.

"Gome-chan!"

"You stepped on my tail, baka!"

"She is back!"

"Kane, wait! I wanna see her, too!"

After some shoving at the door, all of the kits followed him out with giggles of their own.

The black kitsune sensei responsible for this lesson in transformation watched his pupils buffet each other to dash out of the room. He shrugged out of the black kimono reserved for instructors and dropped it in an unceremonious pile on the desk. With a grin and a flourish of his six ebony tails, the kitsune slowly walked out and into the dark hallway, whistling a tune and pulling out a thin pipe to pass the time.

…

Sesshoumaru flew over the mountains just outside the Palace and deeply inhaled the cold air high above. The restrictions on his emotions and his person melted away as he put more distance between himself and his lifelong obligations.

His planned council with the kitsune village heads would take place this evening, with the head reynard and his vixen, to secure mating rights to an amenable female in the coming year. With luck, he would be bringing his first heir home to the West before the next spring. In the decades that followed, the inu could share their heritage and the burdens of ruling a Cardinal Land with a pup of his own. An heir introduced this early into the tense alliances of the Four Points would grow up knowing the intimacies of the balance between the youkai Lords in a way none other before him had. Sesshoumaru found himself excited at the prospect of a shared future with his own progeny.

Lowering beneath the cloud cover, the scents of the forest below became infinitely stronger. The animals, trees, and the mold-laced scent of decay that blanketed all old forests mixed with the crisp scent of new bamboo, a multitude of kitsune and their strange affinity for pipeweeds, and the smells of food and drink that accompany all established places of residence.

Surprisingly, another familiar scent drifted on the wind as he descended into the forest. A human? Ripe camelias and rain. Cotton and steel. The sizzling scent of her reiki mixed with the effervescent juniper of her excitement. He knew the multitude of scents surrounding the miko well now. How odd that the woman would be anywhere near a kitsune village and so far from her home. She was not waiting in Edo for the arrival of both he and Rin for the summer?

…

Shippou found Kagome just breaking through the bamboo forest surrounding the hidden village. She dropped the small, wooden fox talisman and swore. It had been gifted to them last year by the village leader to allow her entry through the illusionary barrier that protected the kitsune within.

Kagome was struggling to get the bow, staff, pack and billowy miko robes through the thick bamboo. Grunting and tugging her way onto the gray cobbled stones that blanketed the central plaza, she **heard** the cacophony of the approaching herd of kits before she saw them.

"Momma!"

Her warm and genuine smile was instant as she looked up to see Shippou launching himself at her. Dropping the armful of weapons, she held out her arms to catch him in midair.

"Surprise, my little troublemaker!" she laughed.

"How did you get here?" he asked, his face buried in her neck as he inhaled her familiar and calming scents for the first time in a month.

"I walked, silly. Decided it was time to come see you. I missed you."

"I missed you, too. Get ready, though, the whole class is coming too."

Shippou jumped away from her and put some distance between them before his classmates caught up.

"It'll be fine…"

"_**Gome-chan!**_" came the chorus through the plaza.

"Oh dear."

"Told ya…"

Shippou ran back to join them and whispered something into a few ears before turning back around to Kagome with a devilish grin. Kagome only planted a hand on her hip and sighed.

"Okay, whatcha got for me this time?"

"Ha! Attack!" Shippou yelled with a fanged grin. "Just like we practiced!"

Shippou tossed a small sachet at her feet with a grunt and then a ball of his sky-blue foxfire right after it.

"What are you- Ah!"

An explosion of silver mist popped at her feet and began billowing upward, clouding her vision. The last thing Kagome saw through the mist was the haughty grin of her own kit and eleven others all clapping their hands and dancing gaily around. In her confusion, reiki welled up in self-defense but she stuffed it back down. Whatever this was, the kits would never hurt her on purpose. Now, by accident was another story…

Through the mist, black bars began stake heavily into the ground in a narrow circle around the confused priestess. _**Clank!**_

"_Whoa!_"

Kagome jumped when one stabbed roughly into the dirt right behind her. They grew from the dirt part upward, outlined in the glowing light of the kits' bright orange and blue foxfire as the dark bars grew higher and higher. Condensing the mist above into an ornate cap, Kagome watched the stakes meet each other at the apex over her head to form… a birdcage?

"Ah ha… I get it now." she whispered from within, grinning and closing her eyes to start the game. If they wanted to play, she'd play.

_"Ka-go-me, ka-go-me,_

_The bird in the cage,_

_When, oh, when will it come out?_

_In the light of the dawn,_

_The crane and turtle slipped,_

_Who is behind you **now**?"_

The singing stopped and a gentle breeze fluttered through the bamboo forest, lifting her bangs and bringing the scent of the forest and fresh water to her nose. She reached out with her reiki and found Shippou directly behind her.

"Shippou!" she said confidently.

"You got it!" her kit called back.

Riotous laughter surrounded them and Kagome opened her ocean blue eyes, turned around, and found Shippou smiling and proud of himself.

"I never should have taught you little monsters that song."

To which they replied with devious laughter and danced some more around her illusionary prison. A loud clap and a sultry voice broke the chaos and all colors of cat-like eyes fixated on the approaching vixen.

"All right now, kits, back to your sensei. Hidekatsu is becoming entirely too lazy. Run along now and ask him many, many questions to pass the day! Away with you!" came the lilting female voice from the shadows of the largest shiro lining the plaza.

"Aww! But Chinatsu-sensei-" one started.

The vixen Chinatsu sauntered out from the bamboo and materialized in full before them all. The deep burnt orange of her nine tails billowed out from trailing deep magenta kimono she wore. They flicked this way and that with a mind of their own as she took in the scene. Kagome smiled and waited. Chinatsu did not interact with them without purpose.

She was the elder kitsune of the village and had lived many centuries in this forest before finding a Mate. Her willfullness alone had provided a home for the lost kitsune of the south as the threats of much more dangerous youkai grew around them.

"Ah ah ah…" she admonished. "Good kits always, what, my dears?"

"**Beware the danger daylight lends and always know when a good trick ends!**" they chorused.

"And this one is ended." she nodded deeply. "Congratulations, little ones, you have bested the miko!"

"Now let me out!" said miko called.

"Get yourself out!" Shippou taunted, folding his arms and adopting the same knowing look Kagome wore when trying to teach him a lesson.

"I have a better idea." she grinned, crouching. "Why don't I just… get you back from **here**!"

Kagome spread her arms wide and let loose a flock of ice blue butterflies crafted from her reiki. They fluttered wildly out from the bars of her illusionary cage, taking jagged paths through the small central clearing of the village to chase each kit. The children all squealed with joy and scattered away from the cage. The younger ones only leapt into the air, clasping little hands together to catch the phantom butterflies, while the older ones used their tools and foxfire to blast them out of the sky. Distracted by the new game, the cage began to melt away and Kagome only had to touch the barrier once to end it completely.

"Come here, you!" she grinned, holding her arms open for Shippou.

Her kit held up his hands and waved them wildly.

"Not now! I have a reputation…" he whispered, growing red. "I can't do that with all of them here."

"Like hell! I just crossed the island to come see you and I can't even have another hug?"

"Oh, little one, I'll be more than happy to embrace you if that's what you wish." crooned Chinatsu, approaching with a heated gaze that made Kagome swallow dryly.

"As tempting as that sounds, I'm liable to drown in those things…" Kagome cast over her shoulder, eyeing Chinatsu's more than ample cleavage which had to be seconds from spilling out of that kimono. "And I'm not sure how close we could really get with all of those kits in the way. Goodness, you didn't tell me you and Daichi were expecting!"

Beyond the revealing robe, Chinatsu shook a voluminous mane of deep brown hair that rivaled Sesshoumaru's for length. Large fox ears topped her head and were trained forward as she approached the miko. Her large and rounded middle was heavy with new life and the vixen was approaching her due date if Kagome knew anything about pregnancies. Chinatsu only palmed her belly and laughed.

"Ha! All six of them are constantly battling for the honor of firstborn. Alas, my offer still stands should you wish to stay here with your Shippou. We have more than enough room and Daichi is an accommodating male. He will not bother us overfrequently." she winked.

"Hard pass, Chi-chan, but I would love to spend some time with you both while I'm here. Is my tent still here? I need to air it out for tonight."

"Oh, little miko," Chinatsu growled and sighed, "do not insult me again. You will stay with me while you stay. How long?"

Kagome weighed the options of arguing against the head vixen and her Mate, Daichi, on the matter of room and board then ultimately decided to let it go. Overfamiliar though she was, Chinatsu meant well and wanted only to pick her brain about the gossip of the village and human nature in general.

"Oh, only a few days. A friend is bringing his little girl to come stay with me sometime soon so I need to get back to Edo."

"Ah, so this was a visit to see your own ward and test your strength. I see. Do not appear so shocked. Young Shippou was very firm in his instructions. We are not to discuss your Mate's death-"

"Hey!" Shippou said angrily.

"-or otherwise discuss his memory so as not to upset you. Your young kit is very protective, little miko."

Kagome looked softly over at Shippou who was drawing circles in the dirt with his small fox toes. Then she saw the intermediate lessons shiro a few houses down and her eyes traveled upward to settle on the black tiled roof where Inuyasha would sleep when they visited.

He hadn't been patient enough to handle the fuss of the kits and avoided the adults as much as possible. Kitsune were curious to distraction and after the fiftieth penetrating question about his anatomy and parentage, he'd yelled at them all. After that, he'd taken to staying on the roof and out of the way, laying Tessaiga threateningly across his lap in case anyone forgot he wanted to be left alone.

A tug at the leg of her hakama brought Kagome out of the deep well of her memories.

"Kagome? Are you okay?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes. Sorry. Thank you for telling them for us. I was just thinking about how he used to sleep up there. He-" she chuckled to blink the tear away, "-he used to hate all the commotion so much but he loved knowing you were taken care of."

"How do you figure? Inuyasha always bellyached so much when he was here."

"It was all a show. He brought up coming here to see you as often as I did. Inuyasha knew better than anyone what it was like to be a kid alone in the world. He made damn sure you never felt like that."

"I guess I never thought about it that way."

Kagome gave him a warm smile and dismissive wave.

"Go on, kiddo. Go learn new things and pester that sensei of yours. Come have dinner with us later, okay? Since in private is the only time I'm allowed to snuggle you while I'm here." Kagome lowered an eyebrow and gave him a wry grin.

"Mm hmm. You sure you're okay?"

"Yep. I have Chi-chan and my memories for company. Go. I'll be fine."

"But-" Shippou nervously checked around for any spies in the vicinity before leaping up to wrap his small arms around Kagome's neck, nuzzling her face. "I missed you." he whispered in her ear.

"I missed you, too." she whispered and hugged him back, pressing her hand to the back of his head.

He released her, they nodded resolutely to each other, and Shippou jetted away with a burst of youki to catch up to his classmates.

"I hate to think of them hurting unsuspecting humans in the near future." Kagome lamented.

"An excellent class this century. Do not worry, Kagome. At their age, their magic is mostly harmless and you mortals would do well not to get too full of yourselves."

"Humans aside, Chi-chan, if you get any more full of _yourself_, I suspect you may have more than six."

"No, it is most definitely only six, and my last litter for the next several hundred years. Daiichi was adamant and when a Mate wants more children, he can be decidedly more," she winked at the young woman, "persuasive."

"I wouldn't know." Kagome said ruefully, thinking about when, if ever, she might be allowed to start a family of her own.

"One day you will, little miko. Of that I have no doubt."

"Well, that makes one of us."

That was still a large unknown in her life. An unresolved problem that continued to make her wonder what kind of relationship she might have with the man Fate had assigned her. The sad gaze of the Sesshoumaru of the future was a stark contrast to the fierce eyes she had met in the West. They were two very different beings but, apparently, had both found common ground in desiring her company.

As she contemplated the daiyoukai of her future, a startlingly powerful and familiar youki blinked into existence in her threat range.

"Ho! It appears my Mate's guest has finally deigned to visit us. Little one, this male is just your type. Your hanyou was boyishly handsome but this one is simply delectable." she purred. "Rumor has it he is finally intended for a female and I envy her. Just once, would I have loved to dig my claws into…"

Kagome stopped listening to Chinatsu talk about Sesshoumaru's ass as the inudaiyoukai himself dropped below the cloud cover and came into view.

_'No way...'_ she marveled to herself. _'Take it as a hint from the universe, huh, Ship?'_

…

Sesshoumaru lamented that his future Mate's presence might complicate this visit but as she most likely had no business with the kitsune themselves, he could avoid meeting with the miko directly until the contract was solidified. Perhaps then he would track her down and make sure she arrived back home safely before fetching Rin.

Descending through the cloud cover above the village, his plans of avoidance were dashed when he saw the head vixen and Kagome having a lively conversation in the middle of the village. The miko's robes fluttered in the breeze that blew through and disturbed the bamboo in leafy, viridescent waves all around the village.

_'Does this strange woman know all youkai in existence or just every one This Sesshoumaru has business with?'_

He would not change his plans in light of her presence. He had made his position abundantly clear on fathering an heir at his discretion. This plan had been conceived many years ago and he would see it through. Sesshoumaru began his descent into the village and caught the gleam and brightness of miko's steel blue eyes as they found him in the air. Those expressive and glittering orbs held something like longing and admiration and he tipped his head ever so slightly in curiosity. Was her soft expression of wonder for him?

…

Sesshoumaru's energy blazed to life overhead and Kagome began to fidget as his aura grew closer and bore down on them, sending her reiki into overdrive and prodding it to life to cover her body like a second skin. He approached at what had to be near-lightspeed and the closer he came to the ground, the more her heart pounded. Chinatsu remained stoic and completely unaffected but idly straightened her kimono and raised her chin to prepare to greet him. Kagome had no time to judge her own appearance or prepare for his arrival as she was suddenly too distracted simply watching him fly toward them.

_'How free and limitless that must feel. To be able to just… fly… anywhere… on your own power. I never thought about how he does that. I should ask him sometime.'_

Kagome gathered the wavy mop of her ebony hair and smoothed it over one shoulder without realizing she had been staring, unblinking, at Sesshoumaru on his descent. Chinatsu's cat-like, green eyes caught the miko's unflinching and longing gaze but said nothing and refocused on her guest.

Seconds later, the inudaiyoukai touched the toe of a boot down and eased to the ground in a flurry of ivory fur and silver hair. The elder inu walked calmly over to the gently smiling priestess and grinning vixen. If he was surprised to see Kagome, his flat gaze gave nothing away as Chinatsu boldly approached and held out her clawed hand.

"Western Lord Sesshoumaru! Welcome! Daichi told me you were visiting us this year."

The inu gently lifted the proffered hand and turned it over, briefly sliding the tip of his nose along her palm, refamiliarizing himself with her scent and showing her the deference her position demanded by lowering his head. It was an old practice and one singular to the foxes. Kitsune have been treated as an island unto themselves for as long as the inu could remember and his mother had been adamant about respecting their customs. They fell under no Lord's rule and did not travel or exist as a pack, much like the nomadic bear and wolf tribes of the north and southwest. Until Chinatsu demanded a place of safety be created, there had never been a permanent establishment that housed kitsune year-round.

Sesshoumaru's amber eyes flitted for a moment to Kagome, who stood watching the exchange with rapt attention as if someone would be testing her knowledge of the custom later. Her scent gave nothing away when his head lifted from Chinatsu's hand and he faced her. Kagome opened her mouth to greet him but Chinatsu was quicker.

"Sesshoumaru, I have a most interesting guest to introduce to you."

_'She has not told the vixen of our connection then. Curious.'_ he thought.

"This is Shikon no Miko, Kagome of Edo. She is the adoptive mother of a kit in our keeping. Strange for a human, yes?"

"Less shocking than you assume, Chinatsu." Kagome quipped, turning to face him with the ghost of a grin. "Hello, Sesshoumaru."

"Good evening, miko." the inu nodded.

Chinatsu blinked her viridian eyes owlishly for a moment and looked between them.

"You are acquainted? My goodness! Little one, what a wealth of surprises you hold in that adorable human body!"

"I haven't had a chance to tell you yet, Chi-chan, but-"

"**Gome-chan!**" came the squeals from across the plaza.

"Ha! I thought you were supposed to be back in class, little monsters."

"We were but then Shippou sent us out here to rescue you."

"Ha! I'm fine. We're just about to go find me somewhere to sleep. Run along. Tell your fearless leader I'm fine and to find me at mealtime."

"Hai, Gome-chan!"

Kagome looked up from the small gray kit to find Sesshoumaru with an eyebrow raised and frown.

"Nicknames are inappropriate from pups to adults." he rumbled.

"Oh really? Remind me again exactly what Rin named your pelt when she was little? Lord Fluffy or something? Oh, yes, very respectful."

"That is unrelated and was not a name for This Sesshoumaru." he replied, to which the miko snorted loudly. "Why have you come to the kitsune village?"

"Shippou is a student here. I missed him so I took a trip." Kagome grinned and clasped her hands behind her back. "Why are **you** here?"

Sesshoumaru opened his mouth to tell her the truth when a lilting male voice interrupted them.

"Ah, Sesshoumaru-sama!" came the friendly call from across the plaza.

A thin, pale-skinned male with strikingly long and unnaturally dark hair ducked out of the shadows of the tallest shiro and walked slowly toward the odd group. His full-length kimono was loose, relaxed, and a silken forest green with white roses gathered at the sleeves and hem. They appeared to shift and shimmer in the evening light, giving the illusion of dripping from the garment as he approached.

"Daichi." greeted Sesshoumaru, barely nodding his head.

"Finally! After your letter last winter, we thought you would arrive right behind it. I see you have met our little miko! How pleasant. She is a novelty we have tried and failed to keep within our enchanted borders. Alas, she is determined to live among the mortals."

Daichi held out his hand in the same way Chinatsu had and Sesshoumaru repeated the odd greeting as Chinatsu continued.

"Daichi, do not bore the male to death. What business have you here, Sesshoumaru? He has been unusually tight-lipped about the nature of your visit."

"We will be speaking in private, Mate, and you may join us whenever you are able." His overly friendly smile revealed long ivory fangs and silver eyes that crinkled at the corners. "Might I suggest you dine with our little pet first, however? She appears road-weary and malnourished since last we saw her. Positively gaunt." he finished, clicking his tongue.

"Don't spare my feelings, Daichi-sama." Kagome snapped.

Sesshoumaru took the opportunity to silently survey the miko's condition after the reports two months ago on her health. She did appear thinner, paler, but the fire in her eyes over the dismissal of her appearance gave him confidence in her mental state if nothing else. Scorn lit her eyes and cheeks as she prepared a rebuttal for the tactless fox. Chinatsu was on top of the conversation and merely patted Kagome familiarly on the shoulder to smother the flames of her anger.

"He is male, darling. He knows not when to hold his tongue on a female's appearance." Chinatsu narrowed her eyes on her chuckling Mate. "Fourteen centuries he has been mine and has yet to learn. Come. We can lament the shortcomings of males in general over dinner." Chinatsu bent low to purr into Kagome's ear and the miko startled and turned a darker shade of pink. "Perhaps I can still convince you that my doting company would be preferable during your short life."

Sesshoumaru's golden eyes narrowed on the vixen who was much too close to his intended. One shallow sniff of the air revealed the kitsune was most definitely aroused by the young woman. Something lightning fast, violent, and unexpected forced its way up his throat and a possessive, warning growl was a second from ripping free when, after the second mention of food, Kagome's stomach growled first and Daichi laughed loudly. The inudaiyoukai swallowed the emotion and decided to meditate on its unwelcome and unexpected appearance later.

"Humans are never boring!" Daichi's light and lilting voice sang. "I was not wrong then, dear Mate. Take her away. Scrub her and feed her and then join us for dessert and tea, if you wish it."

"All of that sounds heavenly. Thank you, Daichi-sama." Kagome bowed, ready to escape.

"Of course, little miko. Enjoy, my dear one, and I shall see you later!"

The head reynard turned and left the rest of the party standing in the middle of the plaza. Sesshoumaru turned back to Kagome and she looked into his eyes to catch something like hesitance or regret there before it was blinked away. He merely nodded in their direction and stepped away to follow Daichi into the shiro.

Kagome's eyes glanced at the broad shoulders and measured steps of Sesshoumaru as he walked away with Daichi without giving her a backward glance or a proper good-bye. He had no intention of acknowledging her then. Without the suggestion made by Chinatsu's Mate to join them later, she probably wouldn't have seen him at all beyond this moment. Maybe her pride would heal faster if she avoided him all together and feigned exhaustion after dinner.

_'Coward. You knew this wouldn't be easy.'_ Kagome mentally berated herself.

"How wonderful…" Chinatsu mused quietly, watching Kagome follow the handsome young inu all the way to the steps of the central shiro.

"Hmm?" Kagome slurred, turning to her friend. "What is, Chi-chan?"

"I wonder what it was you had not the time to tell me, little one?" A clawed index finger found its way to her lips. "Though I may chance a guess as the evening wears on." the vixen grinned wickedly.

"I'll tell you all about it while we get a bath. Come on." Kagome looped her arm through Chinatsu's. "You have to tell me all the names you've picked out for this litter of yours!"

"So many to choose from. I suggested we wait and let the kits name themselves when they can speak but Daichi insisted. Such a bother. The humans change their style of naming so often that we felt we might use shorter names this century to help them blend in. How do you feel about the name Akari? Would it fool the humans?"

"I like it." Kagome smiled. "Very cute."

The two females walked in the opposite direction of the males to find the baths and some dinner.

…

The evening with Chinatsu began with a long soak in a steamy and very exposed cypress tub behind the shiro Chinatsu and Daichi called their own. Bamboo grew up and around the tub in a wide circle and the priestess swore she saw eyes and tails flitting in and out of the dense forest around them.

The first half of their soak was Chinatsu sighing for the tense human to relax, that no one of interest would see any human parts they were not already familiar with, and to sit back and give the details of the last year of Kagome's absence.

Kagome spent the latter half of the bath relaxed against the side but wrapped securely in a towel to avoid tempting a certain wanton kitsune vixen who kept making comments on the growth of the young miko's hips, the lean muscle of her arms, and the delicate flash of her pale throat. After nearly shoving her friend away for the third time, they both had a good laugh and got out of the tub at Kagome's insistence. Still dripping with the bamboo-infused water, Kagome held out her hand for Chinatsu to take as she descended the stairs.

"Goodness but you fuss as much at Daichi…"

"Hot baths aren't good for growing babies. Come on, you. Let's scrounge up some dinner. Since Shippou is too busy, I'd like to be done with dinner and ready for bed if he comes around."

"Your young kit is very busy these days. Such is the life of a popular student." Chinatsu finished with a knowing grin.

"Popular student?" Kagome flipped her soaked hair back to towel it dry and they approached the changing rooms. "Shippou? Why?"

"Who can say? He is bright, resourceful, and confident. He takes after his mother, I believe."

"You're trying too hard now, Chi." Kagome shook her head as she shrugged on a white yukata to walk the halls. "He's happy here, though?"

"Of course, little one. I would personally see to it were it not already the case. He is a natural leader, your kit. We expect great things from him."

Chinatsu skipped all of the human steps and merely shivered her flawless appearance back into place.

"Great things, huh?"

_'Like surviving with you far into the future to see everything he grew up with ruined and his mother killed? How am I supposed to fix this when Sesshoumaru is here right now and ignoring me completely? He couldn't have cared less that of all the places in the world, we met up here completely by accident. None of his staff or soldiers around to bother us and he still has no interest in even talking to me. Shippou was probably… No, he wasn't wrong. He'd know. So, what in the seven hells am I supposed to do about this distance between us?'_

Kagome thought for a moment. Sesshoumaru was here on a mission of some sort. Something important enough for him to come alone, just before he was supposed to bring Rin to Edo, and to meet with the kitsune in charge. He was busy and distracted.

_'Don't take it personally, Kagome. Nothing. For right now, do nothing. I'm here for Shippou and Sesshoumaru will have to wait. I'll just see what he does when he brings Rin and go from there. We were both caught off guard.'_

It sounded feeble even in her head and Kagome let her head loll back and sighed.

"You are quite distracted with the twilight, Kagome. Tell me what storm brews in those seas behind your eyes."

"Fine. First, dinner. I'll tell you everything over dinner. I wish Shippou could come, too, but he was determined to finish something."

"Your dedicated little kit is finishing an important craft so that he may spend all day tomorrow with you. Praise him for his dedication, Kagome. It is rare in one so young."

"I know, I know. He's pretty perfect." she grinned.

…

Kagome sat down in a thigh-length, pale pink kimono decorated generously with delicate green butterflies from her neck to her knees. The green hankimono beneath was just as thin and just as short, and Kagome had foregone her breast bindings for the evening after Chinatsu's insistence that "the evening was for relaxation" and they would not be disturbed.

Kagome's modesty prevented her from fully relaxing until two or three cups of sake after dinner. The sweet liquor was produced in midair by Chinatsu, and put Kagome at ease as she began the long tale of her journey to find her husband, her recovery in the West, and the eventual coerced promise that would change her life forever. Unsure whether or not the news of Mating Sesshoumaru was supposed to be common knowledge, Kagome was intentionally vague about **who** her prospective Mate was but Chinatsu kept prodding and pushing tempting cups of sake in her direction.

"So this male you are required to Mate, you do not want him?"

"It's not that. I might one day. He can actually be very pleasant when he wants to be." Kagome groaned and flopped backward onto the tatami floor with a 'thud.' "He's just so cold sometimes. He walked away from me the last time I saw him without so much as a 'see you later.' He doesn't want me. Not really. I just have to make peace with it, I guess."

"Oh, my dear, you have given in before the true trial has begun. If you wait for a youkai male to come to you of his own volition, you might wait forever. They are prideful beyond reason," she rolled her green eyes, "and expect their females to make their own desires known without a doubt before they reciprocate. Kami forbid a male should be rejected by a female first. Again, whoever he is, is only male, dear, and cannot see past his nose. In my experience-"

"Don't give me some inspirational story about you and Daichi. I might actually vomit."

"Ha! Our story is not one to inspire courage, little miko. So sour when you drink, little Kagome!"

"Yeah well, it's not like I have a whole lot to be thrilled about right now. I have one friend back home but she's married with kids, too. I need some single girlfriends. You're as close as I can get, Chi-chan."

Kagome raised her glass to the kitsune vixen across from her and downed it.

"And you refuse to tell me who this youkai is? Even after so many drinks?"

"I know what you're doing, Chi, but it won't work. I might be a lightweight but I have my reasons."

"Will it not? If my sake has rendered you inarticulate then perhaps it is time we retired." Chinatsu purred, reaching an open palm across the table. "I can think of better and more entertaining ways to loosen your tongue."

"Not tired yet! Let's play a game then. Why don't you guess?" the miko grinned, her face growing warm with the suggestive and heated gaze of Chinatsu combined with the wine. "If you guess even close, I'll tell you who it is."

"Delightful!" Chinatsu clapped. "Is he kitsune? Is that truly why you are here?"

"No. Not kitsune."

"I know he is youkai… Does he have a pleasing form? One you can see yourself bedding?"

Kagome covered her face with her hands and spoke through them. "Most definitely."

"I am happy for you then. Now, who… Is he noble? A daiyoukai of power?"

"Yes. Noble beyond reason. More than he should be. More than anyone has a right to be!"

"A daiyoukai Lord? There are not many I can think of. Oh! The whelp in the East! He is unbound, I believe."

"Kouhei? No, it's not him."

"Goodness, little vixen, you even know his name… Are you sure it is not the poor dragon?"

"Kouhei's coming into his own now and he's nice enough but, no, it's not him. His uncle would have kittens."

"Ha! Such odd phrases you use, little one. But noble… More noble than my Daichi?"

"Yes, sorry."

Kagome gave up trying not to blush and instead folder her arms on the table and buried her face within the sleeves of her kimono. Another moment passed as Chinatsu considered.

"Certainly not more than our Sesshoumaru?"

"No, not **more** than him." came the muffled reply.

Silence. Clawed fingers began drumming on the table in rhythm as the vixen thought.

"I can think of no other unbonded males in any of the-"

Then they abruptly stopped and Kagome forgot to breathe for a second.

"Kagome… are you the intended female of Sesshoumaru of the West?"

The mortified miko only nodded silently within the cage of her arms, refusing to meet what she knew were the pitying eyes of her closest friend in the kitsune village.

"Little pet, I admit freely that I have never been jealous of you until this moment. After you Mate that stunning inu, you must come back here and tell me all about the firm-"

Kagome's head snapped up from the table and she glared at the overly happy vixen.

"Chinatsu, if you start talking about Sesshoumaru's ass again, I'm gonna pack up right now and pitch my damned tent in the middle of town. No cuddling for you!"

The kitsune laughed aloud and continued laughing for another moment until a thought crossed her quick mind.

"Wait… Surely not."

"Chi? What are you-"

"Shh, little miko. Let this vixen hear."

Silence passed for another few moments. Kagome watched Chinatsu scowl at the door, one cinnamon ear tipped up ever so slightly as if it aided her already perfect hearing. Her frown deepened and a ferocity Kagome had never witnessed twisted the beautiful features of her friend into the terrible fox she truly was.

"I knew he was lacking but I did not realize I had Mated such an utter simpleton!"

Chinatsu rose with as much grace as she could muster and stormed quickly out of the room.

"Chi-chan? What's wrong?" Kagome questioned, rising to follow her. "Chinatsu? Where did she go?"

As the miko padded out into the hallway, she saw no trace of her companion to the left or right. Instead, Kagome closed her eyes and began tracking Chinatsu's aura through the manor in the dark. At the same moment the slightly tipsy young woman nearly toppled a large vase navigating a corner, an enraged vixen was throwing open the doors to the meeting room with her eyes narrowed.

"What are you two plotting in here?" she demanded, earning curious stares from both males.

Daichi rose from the low table with open arms and a happy grin. Sesshoumaru remained seated and facing away from her.

"Ah, Mate! I have exciting news!"

"Do you?" she drawled, baiting him with her playful tone.

"Yes, we will be hosting the vixen that bears the next Lord of the West."

"Indeed?" she grinned falsely down at the suspicious inudaiyoukai before looking back into the mirthful silver eyes of her Mate. "And did you know, Daichi, that Sesshoumaru is contracted to Mate our Kagome in almost exactly a year's time?"

The inu closed his eyes. Daichi might be playing dumb but if Chinatsu knew, Kagome was somewhere nearby and this was a conversation he had hoped to have with her in private.

"I did not… The mystery is solved at last, Sesshoumaru. What wonderful news!"

"Is it?" Chinatsu spat. "Because you cannot possibly agree to this with her honor on the line."

Kagome peeked into the room and sighed with relief, having finally found them all. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the bright light of the braziers blazing away in the corners of the large meeting room.

"Chi-chan, there you are. Are you all right?" the miko asked innocently. "Oh, hello everyone."

Sesshoumaru clenched his jaw but remained seated.

"I am fine, little one. However, your Lord Sesshoumaru and my devious Mate have nearly concluded their meeting so I thought to interrupt. I now believe he invited us to spend the evening together to they could plot alone. Cowardly males, the both of you!"

"What? Plot? No, I'm sure it's not that-" Kagome stuttered.

"I am certain. Are you aware the Lord of the West is trying to pass you over in bearing his heirs?"

The change in her posture was instant. Thin shoulders bowed forward and Kagome's arms wrapped around her chest to protect her heart from emotions she hadn't fully processed. Her expressive eyes turned resolute and emotionless.

"Yes." she said quietly. "I know."

Sesshoumaru watched her face fall. They had not revisited this element of their relationship since the first discussion in his quarters but he felt the rot of guilt begin to grow since he had not warned her of his intentions.

Chinatsu rounded on the crestfallen young woman and took Kagome's small shoulders in hand.

"You know, Kagome? How? How could you allow this to happen?"

"He didn't have a choice in a Mate, his ward's life was threatened if I refused, and I, um-" She took a steadying breath and faced Chinatsu. "I can't give him pureblood heirs. He doesn't want to watch them die. He warned me of the ridicule they might face even as heirs to the West. I understand."

"You are speaking of his wants and needs, Kagome, but what of your own?"

"Chinatsu, Mate, perhaps this is a conversation best held between them." Daichi interrupted.

Kagome expected understanding and affection but Chinatsu only glared at her and rounded on Sesshoumaru.

"Plans to create the next heir to the West began long before the miko was involved." the inu said sternly.

"And your future Mate is involved **now**. Your plans must change. Pitiful. No parent wishes to see a child die before them. I have buried six of my own. Hanyou or not, your **Mate** deserves to bear your children. That does not change anything. How could you do this to her? Under her nose?"

"No, Chi-chan, it's okay-"

"It is certainly not. You entered into an agreement with a male I assumed to be honorable and yet he slinks in amidst the kitsune to avoid being caught damning one of our most binding Rites. Shameful."

Sesshoumaru's low growl reverberated in the room and he bared a fang in warning.

Kagome felt the burn of tears in her eyes but blinked them away to reach for her friend.

"Chinatsu, please… please don't say things like-"

"Do you see what your selfishness has wrought? She shrinks in front of you and you haven't even enough male pride to rise and take credit for it. I will not allow this to happen. We refuse you, Sesshoumaru of the West, and you should leave."

"Chinatsu, stop it!" Kagome begged, hugging herself tighter. "You're making it worse…"

This is not how the evening was supposed to go. This was not part of the plan to get know him better. This was not something she was ready to face. Now there was no plan. They were all ignoring her completely so Kagome did the only thing she could to save her pride and spare them her sadness: she left.

"Enough, Mate!" Daichi bellowed. "Hold your tongue until you can consider carefully what you say. I agree to a discourse about changing our agreement but surely you cannot expect the Lord of the West to ignore the longevity of his heir. Less than five hundred years at the most they would live, and such a short reign is unheard of."

"So is passing over a willing Mate of strength in favor of fucking a breeding vixen simply to soothe his own fear and uncertainty."

Sesshoumaru suddenly rose, ignoring the two arguing Mates, and sniffed the air. Narrowing his eyes on the doorway where the woman stood only moments ago, now there was only empty space. He looked through the windows lining both sides of the meeting room and did not see her.

"Where would she have gone?" he questioned.

The two kitsune looked back at the doorway to find Kagome missing. All that was left of the miko was the scent of camelias and rain… and the salt of her tears.

"You have brought this on yourself. Fix it yourself." Chinatsu crossed her arms and turned away from him. "She does not deserve this heartache. Least of all from you."

"You do not know-" Sesshoumaru began roughly.

"I do. She had only finished telling me the tale of your consideration, your kindness, and her hope for your future together. Imagine her feelings toward you now. The male she considered her future Mate, here, mere steps away from her, plotting to shred her female pride while he ignored her. If you refuse to soothe her fears yourself, I will find her alone and when I do, you will stay away from her, Sesshoumaru of the West, from this day onward."

"Do not presume to order This One, kitsune." His golden eyes flashed dangerously and his brow set low in anger. The growl that accompanied his threat promised violence. "The miko is **mine** and I alone will ensure her wellbeing."

Sesshoumaru left the room faster than even their eyes could follow and Daichi sighed a high-pitched whine and crossed the room to embrace Chinatsu lovingly, pulling her head to rest against his shoulder and laying a hand to splay across her belly.

"That was a fierce gamble, my dear one. You might have brought the wrath of the last great inu about our heads. Then what could you say to our homeless clatter?"

"Our Kagome deserves his devotion. The ignorant pup needed a push out the door," Chinatsu shrugged, nuzzling further into Daichi's throat, "and I always did love to travel."

"Kikuko was right to ask for your interference then. Without your second letter, he might have missed her completely."

"Without her web of spies, she would not know their plans. I cannot begin to guess what that silver-tongued inu has in store for her son. She sits above the world like the kami yet spends her time interfering with the life of her only pup and one human woman?"

"A child's happiness is paramount to a mother. She believes for now that it is for the best."

"Happiness? Goodness, Daichi. You surprise me."

"A good match is rare for a male in his position. What changed her mind so completely on the human, I wonder?"

"Who can say?" Chinatsu wondered.

...

Outside, Sesshoumaru caught Kagome's scent headed away from the shiro and upwind. Golden eyes flashed in the dark as he scanned the village for her. The low lanterns the lined the pathways between buildings flickered and danced in the night as he walked by. Then he found her.

Standing on the ground, his head tipped nearly vertical, he saw Kagome with her knees drawn to her chest and heard her soft cries. He had done this. If she was truly to be his, as he had just so adamantly claimed, it was also his duty to repair this breach.

Did he owe her an explanation? He was a Lord with a need for an heir. She defended his decision in the meeting room. So why was the woman upset now?

Did she defend him to defend his pride only? Maybe she disagreed with his choice?

His life was only ever questions and unsettling emotions when Kagome was near. Another soft plea for reconciliation came from above and broke his concentration.

"I just wish… he cared about my feelings at all." she said quietly to the stars.

He heard her tears gain speed against the tile.

If the inudaiyoukai left the ground to confront her, his plans for an heir might change. If he left the village entirely, his plans for an heir were at an end.

_'Change is not always unwelcome.'_ he had said. She had agreed and appreciated the sentiment.

Sesshoumaru had agreed that things between them, and many other constants in his life like the warring of the great lands, would need to change if they were to survive. Was this a trial to test his resolve?

Would a hanyou heir some time into the future satisfy his need? Could he live and die protecting them, teaching them, and watching them grow?

If the world he knew was changing, would his fears of their rejection still hold water? Rin lived happily in the Palace as a human. So would the miko when the time came. If two humans could live happily amongst youkai, was it still realistic to assume the worst of his own kind?

Only he and Kagome could puzzle through the answers, he decided, and maybe together, they might forge a new way.

With uncertainty and guilt in his heart, Sesshoumaru leapt from the ground to the roof and the seed of change Kagome planted almost a year ago cracked open and began to grow.

...

**AN:** Summer is going to be three chapters as well. I'd apologize for the ever-growing length but this season is going to be one of my favorites. This chapter might be my favorite so far, actually. Hope everyone is still well and happy! Next time, Sesshoumaru and Kagome air it all out and come to an agreement!


	29. Chapter 29 - Separation:Year 1:Summer 2

**Author's Note:** I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 29 – The Separation: Year 1: Summer: Part II**

Kagome sat alone on the cold, black tile of the shiro roof. Three stories in the air, the young woman hugged her knees tighter as a chilled breeze caused goosebumps to erupt on her exposed arms and legs. Both were scraped from the awkward climb up and she hissed as the short robes she wore dragged over the raw cuts on her knees again. Sad, blue eyes released two more tears to fall onto the pale pink kimono, changing the color slowly to magenta as they soaked through the silk. Two more joined the collection dotting her legs while she watched.

Releasing and straightening her legs with a sigh, Kagome wiped her eyes and leaned back to gaze up at the stars. She thought of the impassive face of Sesshoumaru, backlit by the braziers in the meeting room, then shook her long, damp hair in the same breath to erase him. She was on her own to come to terms with his decision. She had chosen to flee the meeting room, made the decision to face this alone, and no one had come looking for her. It was just as well.

"But what do I do now?"

Chinatsu's tirade had been excessive but the miko could find no fault in the facts. Everything had changed for Kagome: her future, her prospects, and eventually, even her home. It was hard to hear firsthand that nothing had changed in his world. He was doing exactly as he'd outlined in the gallery to the letter and was checking the items off, one by one. Secure borders. Check. Solidify contracts. Check. Siring an heir…

"Damn it!" Kagome screwed her eyes shut to stop the uncontrollable and unidentifiable feelings his presence here had caused.

Her breath came in short pants again as the tears fought for release, and she grew angry when they slid down her face again to drip onto the tile below. Why did she care? Because he'd been an ass, again, and ignored her and her feelings completely? Because this lifetime they faced together was apparently massively easier for him to accept?

_'Why would I expect any differently?'_

Because she'd have to live with watching him raise another woman's child? She was already doing that with two others, both Rin and Shippou, so why did this one matter?

_'Because this one isn't an orphan, idiot. Don't fool yourself. This is a child he **wants** and will raise under the nose of Rin and Shippou in a completely different way. No…' _She paused, thinking hard and reaching deeper._ 'No, it's more personal than that. A child born to a man who **wants** children but refuses to have them with me. Rejected because of what I am and what I can give him… and it hurts. We don't even have a relationship yet, so why **would** he care?'_

The tears gained speed down her face, she bit her bottom lip to stop the telling quiver, and Kagome felt more lost than she had since last winter.

"I think… I want the most… I just wish…" she hiccupped, "he cared about my feelings at all."

It sounded childish when she said it out loud but the sentiment was still very real. The miko tipped her head back and the unruly ends of ebony hair fell against the tile behind. Another breeze rolled through the village and the dramatic waves of the tall bamboo drew Kagome's attention to the shimmering barrier that surrounded the village in a vast dome, towering over the tall buildings and peaking far above her. At any other time, in any other moment, this would be a beautiful place to be but right now, it only felt like a cage.

_'I do wish he understood how I feel. How can he, though? Even I don't know how I honestly feel about this. At least, I don't know why I feel the way I do.'_

An endless sea of twinkling stars glittered overhead, beautifully bright and innumerable in the clear, summer night sky. She felt smaller than ever, watching them. The world might feel less vast with someone to share the view with; someone who wanted her for her. Someone who wasn't a child, didn't **need** her, but just wanted her.

_'I'm lonely? Is that what all of this is?'_

Kagome remembered the way Sesshoumaru had watched the stars with a sad and longing expression himself, the night before the battle with Inuyasha. They seemed to only have terribly sad moments in common.

Could they ever simply spend some time together? Talk about the weather, the world, just be… Could they date? Would he want to? Something told Kagome that her future husband didn't do dates in the traditional sense. The feeling of warm, strong arms hugging her close after their fight in the shrine yard of modern Tokyo made her wonder. Why, after a year, did she only here and now feel the sting of loneliness?

_'We don't even know each other so why do I care who he sleeps with?' _Sadness welled up in her chest again and she swallowed it back down with a thick gulp. Cerulean eyes snapped wide open as the realization hit home._ 'Holy shit, I care who he sleeps with…'_

Kagome drew her abraded knees in again, crossed those long and uncovered legs at the ankles, and clamped her hands over her face to keep the new revelation hidden.

"Great, Kagome. Just great. Really smart. Develop one-sided feelings for-"

Sesshoumaru chose that moment to appear in a gust of youki and warm, humid air like a silver ghost from below the roof line. In an attempt to keep him from seeing what he could most likely sniff out anyway, Kagome jumped as his aura washed over her but didn't unfold herself or acknowledge that she was no longer alone on her perch.

"Miko."

Kagome jumped again but stayed still, hands and legs still shielding her from him. Sensing who it was and the agitation in his aura, the young woman knew she was not in the right mindset yet to deal with him in person. Not when he was the cause of so many unanswered questions. He could deal with whatever was agitating him alone, just as she was.

The clatter of boots on the tile came closer and she peeked sideways from the shield of her hands and knees. She only looked up enough to see his waist and watch him palm the hilt of Bakusaiga to tip the scabbard up and sit gracefully beside her, one knee raised. His silver hair pooled on the tile behind and they both waited for something to happen.

A heartbeat passed. Then another.

"Not right now, Sesshoumaru. I need to think." Kagome said defeatedly.

He should have expected that. Interrupting her tears was unavoidable but necessary if he was to understand her position. She was obviously uncomfortable. Perhaps, the timing was wrong to repair his mistake. Sometimes, retreat was the wisest course of action to win the longer war.

"I shall leave you then."

When he rose from the roof only moments after arriving, Kagome felt a moment of panic. No, she didn't need him to leave; she needed him to stay and help her find a way through this damnable labyrinth they had both been thrown into. What happens next, what happens in a year, and into the far future she promised to help cure; all of it depended on her willingness to _try_.

"Wait." A small hand breached the distance between them, hung empty in the air, then dropped back into her lap. "I'm sorry. Why are you here?" she said tiredly.

"I wish… to discuss my intentions with you."

For some reason, his innocent and naked statement made the spicy pepper of her anger spike, incensing the air between them. Sesshoumaru was confused. His openness and honesty were to be applauded, not scorned.

"First time this year, then." she snapped, flinching internally at the bitterness in her own voice.

"Miko-" came his warning tone.

"_**Ugh!**_ Step one: that 'miko' thing has to stop. I have a name. I use yours _all_ the time. Do me that courtesy, at least."

Now it was his turn to be uncomfortable. He had not called a female by her given name since Yaeko. The inudaiyoukai felt the intimacy gained from such a gesture was reserved only for the closest confidants and… Mates. Which she would be. In that context, what she asked was simple. Then why was her name always lodged in his throat?

"I apologize for not informing you of my intentions sooner…"

The twinkle of steel blue eyes in the dark sought him out as she waited. And waited.

"…Kagome."

It was only her name. She had asked him to say it. Her heart did strange, forgotten things and was less prepared than her brain for the pleasant way it flowed from his lips and rumbled from his chest. Fluttering, pounding, and sending blood to her face but stealing the fortitude from her lungs for one long moment.

Suddenly, her thoughts about their relationship matched stride with reality and Kagome realized the situation she was truly in. They were a promised couple, now on a first name basis, sitting alone together on a rooftop underneath the stars in an enchanted bamboo forest. If they hadn't had a life-altering argument only minutes earlier, if her partner wasn't such an uncommunicative icicle, and if she wasn't feeling so cold and lonely; this might be the most romantic moment of her life. Another shiver raced down her body that could now be from cold or nerves. A quivering hand laid itself across her chest.

Immediately, that same hand made contact with the bare skin of her collarbone and she gasped and jerked the scandalous kimono closed, mentally cursing the vixen for her choice of wardrobe for the evening. Bare, unbound breasts were nearly exposed between the gaping and plunging lapels of the paper-thin cloth, held closed with only a narrow sash low on her waist. Her legs were just as exposed and Kagome tucked them to the side to protect what, if any, of her modesty she had left.

"Oh, kami! I forgot I was still wearing _this_. Don't look!"

Sesshoumaru did not reply but merely stood and unfastened his own sash and sword, laying both neatly beside her. Then, he undid the obi binding his haori and laid it, too, atop the swords. When he began peeling the familiar, ornamental outer layer off, Kagome held up her hands to shield herself from whatever else he was going to take off.

"You don't have to get naked, too! Just turn around, for kami's sake!"

He scoffed and furrowed his brow.

"Foolish woman, you possess nothing This Sesshoumaru is unfamiliar with. Be still."

"You're not familiar with **mine** and that's all I care about!" she cast over a shivering shoulder.

With her back still turned to him and clinging to the lapels of her scant robe, Kagome felt the weight of warm silk drape heavily across her shoulders. Her chilled hands reflexively grabbed the heavy robe and hugged it closer. Instantly, the cold air breezing around her shoulders and thighs was blocked and she began to warm up. She couldn't ignore the distinctly male scent of the garment, either. Spicy and green cypress and a gentle undertone of something floral? The miko realized she was nearly sniffing the robe and froze. If any being on the planet understood the importance and intimacies of scent, it was an inu. She prayed internally to every kami she could think of that he hadn't noticed.

"Thank you." Kagome said quietly.

"Hm."

An uncomfortable moment of silence hung between them.

Sesshoumaru surmised that Kagome had felt the need to isolate herself from him and everyone else in order to process her emotions. She had tried, once again, to spare those around her from feelings of which she felt ashamed or uncertain. For all her sermonizing about emotions, it seemed she would rather resolve the more difficult problems alone. They had that in common, at least.

He had come to the roof to puzzle out their future, but she had not felt comfortable doing so with him. Clearly, his future Mate did not feel the familiarity with him yet that she felt even with the vixen. Further, that put him at fault twice today with respect to the young woman that sat before him. While the insults to his manhood had been unnecessary, Chinatsu had been correct that his intentions and dismissal had hurt the miko.

"So, you mentioned something about being candid? I'm listening." she said, the biting tone of her doubt not entirely gone yet.

"Are you? The latent scent of your anger has yet to pass." he bit back.

"And it **won't** until you tell me why you felt the need to do this without at least warning me."

"You speak tirelessly of the importance of emotions and have failed thus far to give credence to mine on the matter of my heir. Therefore, you are either a hypocrite or a simpleton."

"I'm neither and at least I'm honest about my emotions instead of bottling them up all the time!"

His frustration grew and the lid he kept shut tight on his youki cracked open. Kagome could feel his ire electrifying the air even ten feet away where she sat.

"If you continue to peck like a harpy-"

Her aura rose to meet him and the air on the roof shimmered with contesting energies, snapping and pressing against one another.

"Don't you finish that sentence!" Cerulean eyes lit with fire and glared up at him.

Sesshoumaru met her glare with his own. How was he supposed to converse with this unreasonable woman? Seconds from leaving her here alone to determine a solution for himself, a loud and defeated sigh broke the angry silence and her reiki retreated.

"_Argh!_ Okay, damn it. I'm a hypocrite. You're right and I'm sorry. You have your feelings, too, even if they're repressed as hell."

"Hm. Some reason at last."

"Don't push it." Kagome snapped. "Just start talking."

He stared down with a furrowed brow at this slip of a woman who presumed to order him about. Who was she to command him? A shallow breath brought the scent of her anger, her tears, and the faint wood ashes of her sadness. Realizing he was most likely responsible for them all in this moment, Sesshoumaru smothered his anger and stepped closer to sit down beside her, his effects laying on the roof between them like a screen.

"My plans to father an heir without a Mate were set long before you existed. Your presence here was not a consideration. I regret, however, that you are upset by it."

"It seems to me like you hadn't even made a plan before today. The contract seems like the starting point to me." Kagome said, acid still present in her tone.

"No. The story of my plans is more complicated than this. Will you hear it?"

"I don't understand this at all so listening is all I **can** do for now, I guess." Kagome said cautiously.

He launched into the tale without pause.

"In my youth, I hunted the mainland and the island for any remaining silver inu from my three hundredth year until Yaeko and I were intended. My mother's family was believed to be the last in existence and to my knowledge, it still is. Once I reached the age of my maturity, she was adamant I forge a connection with a member of her extended family to continue our line. I had no designs to take a Mate so early in life and so sought out my peers, those I trusted, to discuss the matter. All of them felt the same way: heirs were destined to find the most powerful, suitable Mate and produce as many offspring as possible to secure their empires for the future and breed new youkai of power to succeed them."

"And that's not what you wanted? It bothered you by the sound of it."

"Deeply. The others seemed content with that lot in their lives but I could not consign myself to be only a tool, furthering the designs of my forebears without true purpose. I agreed to take the mantle of Lord when my father was ready to step down but stood firm that my soul-bound Mate in life would be of my choosing when I alone felt the call. Katsurou was likely not aware of that agreement when he made his demand but my mother was."

"That explains a lot. I feel so terrible that she was so upset."

"Do not be. My dam wrought her own unhappiness, then and now."

"Why is that?"

"The Inu no Taishou allowed me the condition of my freedom, but my mother would not abide the fragility of our position. She threatened to revoke my status as heir if I did not agree to sire a pup of an appropriate bloodline even outside of a Bond. I have escaped her demand for nearly three centuries but no longer, according to the Council meeting of this year. The discussion was had before you entered the Council room."

"I wondered why she got so upset. Well, I assumed it was because of me. I was half right."

"Hn. It was because you agreed, not because you are a human. Not entirely. Her plans to re-establish the great lineage of her family is halted but more than that, she is angry that you are not the ennobled youkai she envisioned and the condition I set for my Bonding is null. Her centuries of waiting now mean nothing if the next heir is born between us."

"I understand a little more why she was so mad."

_'Might have been helpful to know all that before I wrote her that letter…'_

"And your request to wait," Kagome pried further, "your demand for freedom, you gave all that up to save Rin?"

"I did."

"She means so much to you?"

"Hm."

"Wow. I'm still sorry Kikuko-sama was so upset, though."

"It is not your doing. I believe my mother is shortsighted in her prejudices. In time, it is my hope that youkai may come to see that a human in such a position will change the attitudes of your fellow humans as much as their own. I have little doubt you will fulfill the role of a Lady adequately enough but your presence may aid us in ways I have not forseen."

"What a glowing recommendation... 'Adequately.'" she blinked ruefully. "It is, however, very forward-thinking of you to admit that humans will play a role in your future. I'm certain they will, too, but what does your story have to do with this contract?"

"In the interest of maintaining peace, I have sought out the kitsune per the demands of the former Lady of the West and the Council I helped create. I can no longer escape my responsibility and the instability of my house, it would seem."

He was surprised when her playful and open smile turned into a frown and her scent soured with faint traces of sadness.

"That's horrible, Sesshoumaru. You can't bring a child into the world under a dark cloud like that."

"That is not how it is for humans? Offspring to continue a line, to continue the life's work of the parents?"

"Humans have children for lots of reasons. I'm talking about **you**. My own feelings aside, you're really doing this for your mother and everyone else? That can't be all. You seem too stubborn for that."

"It is not." He shifted his thoughts from the promises of the past to meet the softened, blue eyes of his future. "We are dying. I know you are aware. You said as much at dinner with the General. Every decade, our gatherings grow smaller and smaller. I desire at least one pup that will live to take the mantle from me when the time comes. Doing this ensures at least the West will have a leader that will survive me."

"_Ah._" Kagome tipped her ebony-wreathed head back with an exaggerated nod. "I see now."

"You disagree?"

"Completely. You disagreed with your parents that you should be used as a tool and yet you're doing the same thing to this non-existent child?"

"I will not impose my will and seek to bandage my own shortcomings through my pups." he scoffed.

"But you'll make an heir to take your place and maintain the balance you've created? Isn't that the same thing? Aren't you suggesting they live the life you didn't want to either?"

"No. My position in the West has changed from the time of my father. Our alliances **keep** youkai from warring with each other without desperate cause. In his time, war was a way of life. A constant. The struggle for power was a necessary mode of survival. We have changed our outlook. The West must remain until this new peace is a way of life. It also must be maintained through our progeny if we are to survive. Can you not see that?"

"And if he or she refuses? If they want to travel across the ocean, refuse to continue your line and safeguard the West, and throw this privilege back in the face of a well-meaning parent just as you did, will you be so understanding?"

His iridescent, amber eyes flashed angrily in the dark. "You are attempting to find fault in my plans. Why?"

"Because…"

Silence fell over the rooftop and he waited while her scent swirled with the tangy yuzu of her uncertainty.

"Hm?" he prodded.

Kagome gathered the haori closer around herself and turned her body to face him. Even in the dark, he could see the flush of embarrassment in her cheeks.

"Because I care about you enough even now to want to see you happy." The determination in her eyes surprised him when she continued. "Doing this for a Council, your mother, out of fear of the future; that's no way to start a family. I know that's the way things are done sometimes but, in time, I think you'll come to regret a child born out of necessity. You deserve to do this your way and in your own time, if that's really what you want."

The miko seemed adamant that his plan was flawed. He decided to test her resolve to ascertain the truth of her intentions. Humans, in his experience, were never so selfless.

"Even if that time is long after you are dead?"

Kagome forgot about the future and her promises to change things between them. Sesshoumaru was trying to do the right thing in the only way he knew. He had made a promise and was attempting to make good on it. She couldn't fault him for that. Not really. Pity for her own prospects came out as a simple sigh but once the self-deprecating breath left her lungs, Kagome's gaze never left his as she aired out her honest feelings on the matter.

"Keep in mind that my life is short so I measure time differently than you do but if that's where we end up because we can't find another way, I can try to accept it. I'm not your mother or your Council and I won't attempt to force you into a family you don't want either. My only request is that you remain open minded enough to consider that your views may _change_. My desires may change too, but at least give us a chance. Give yourself a chance. You've sacrificed so much already for the others around you. If you have to give your life to ruling others, your time and energy to a Council and the humans you have allied with, forced to marry a human under duress," she said with a wry grin, "then let your children be of your own choosing. Be that selfish at least."

_'Is she really so selfless? Her scent remains pure. Does she truly wish for my contentment over her own? Her motivations are entirely different than youkai. Could she face the Council as passionately? Could she so adamantly defend pups against ignorant derision should the need arise? Perhaps…'_

Sesshoumaru did not reply to her speech but grew pensive. He was convinced she was earnest in her wishes for his future. If the strength of her character matched that of her convictions, Sesshoumaru decided he had made the right choice in approaching her. He spoke cautiously, slowly, and began a new conversation.

"I gave you my position on hanyou before, however-"

The shishito pepper of her anger was instant and uncomfortable for him to breathe.

"Then **why** are you still here?" she glared. Cerulean eyes filled with tears again and narrowed angrily in his direction. "Just to explain the clusterfuck that happened tonight in front of the two oldest youkai I know? To remind me how unfit I am? To educate a lowly human, once again, on the drastic differences in our existence? I _know_ all of that. So why are you up here on the roof with **me** if you still have a kitsune to meet with?"

She turned her head away and tucked it into her left shoulder, away from him. The renewed scent of her tears brought his own frustration to the surface.

"Foolish woman, I am trying to tell you!" he barked.

She whipped her head around to frown at him some more and he decided to ignore the anger rising in his chest to chance the same uncomfortable, soul-bearing honesty she so openly had a moment ago. The inu forced the lines of his face to relax before continuing.

There was no nervous wringing of hands or shifting eyes but even drowned in her own anger, Kagome detected discomfort, nearing embarrassment, in his aura. That Sesshoumaru was slow to speak confirmed her suspicions. Her patience and silence were rewarded a moment later.

"Perhaps I am… mistaken in this." Her doe-eyes widened a fraction. "In my long life, the perception of hanyou among daiyoukai has been singular: abomination. The bloodlust Inuyasha succumbed to not only strengthened the view but fed new life into the perception that they were unpredictable and unworthy among the Council and, I admit, to myself. I cannot deny the fear of the unknown but his life was unique. An isolated incident, like I believe all half-youkai may be. I realize I gave an ultimatum on the prospect of fathering pups between us but perhaps my reluctance was… shortsighted. I recognize after tonight, more so than before, that you have a unique, unclouded perspective of our world. I thought we might… revisit the discussion."

Her disbelieving and open-mouthed stare, and the quickly dissipating scent of her anger, made him more certain this was the right course of action.

"Hence my presence." he finished quickly.

"You should have led with that." Kagome gave him a sad, pale grin.

Sesshoumaru scoffed. "This One did try but your tongue outpaces your mind by a large margin when you are angry."

"It does not!" she grumped loudly and stared him down.

His response was merely to raise a silver eyebrow and wait. Kagome tried to remain stern but giggled both at his expression and herself.

"Okay fine, you got me." she chuckled. "I'll try to do better."

"You will try," he led, "and fail-"

"Hey!"

"-but your impetuous nature may be part of your allure."

His compliment, shallow though it was, warmed her face and Kagome grinned.

"I- I don't know what to say to that. Thank you? Shut up?" she said playfully.

"Honesty is paramount between Mated pairs." he said easily, as if repeating a proverb.

"Don't open that can of worms unless you're ready to get as good as you give."

"You find fault in This Sesshoumaru's demeanor?"

"That's the whole reason you're up here apologizing, isn't it?" Kagome tipped her chin up to grin at him again. His answer was to furrow his brow and turn away to stare into the plaza instead. "Honesty is paramount, ne? But we're off topic. What do you intend to do now?"

Sesshoumaru stopped scanning the village, relaxed his gaze, and looked over at her.

"That may depend on our conclusion tonight. Very much may, in fact." he said solemnly.

Sesshoumaru leaned back on one hand and propped the other on a raised knee, his body language now intentionally relaxed and open. The response of his future Mate was equally relaxed and open, as he had hoped. Her eyes held a mirth and brightness once again.

"Fire away." she nodded firmly.

The inu only gave her a skeptical look and Kagome remembered he wasn't used to the "colloquial" phrases her close friends had come to accept.

"It means 'go ahead.'" she said.

"Your speech and phrasing are so odd at times. No other humans in your village speak thus."

Maybe it was time to come clean. If honesty was the name of the game tonight, there was an atomic bomb-sized load of it waiting for him sometime in the near future. This was not the place, though. In a few days, he'd go to Edo with Rin and she could tell him then. Alone.

"In the interest of fairness," she said with a slightly quivering voice, "you were honest with me about your family and you deserve the truth about me, too. I am not from Edo or any village anywhere near it." When his eyes bored into hers, waiting patiently for the truth, Kagome felt the fear of his anger and rejection gnaw at her gut. "Are you still bringing Rin to Edo for the summer?"

"Is that relevant to your story?" he asked, trying to puzzle out her intentions.

"No, but I can't tell you everything here. Too many high-powered ears around. What I have to tell you needs to stay between us and there aren't any youkai ears around Edo I'm afraid of."

"The tale of your origin is so disruptive?" he wondered, tipping his pale face slightly to the side in curiosity. The woman had never exaggerated or embellished the truth in his presence. Therefore, if she admitted the truth was so important, he would trust her judgement.

"I'll leave that up to you, Sesshoumaru, but it's a story, that's for sure. So, are you still bringing Rin?"

"Hm. She is awaiting my return so that we may make the journey to your village."

"So, that's a 'yes,' then? Good. I'll tell you everything when you get there. Did you get my letter in the spring?"

"I did." he nodded. "It was unexpected but welcome."

"I'm glad. Have you thought about my request to stay a few days?"

"I have. I cannot see the value in it and there is much work to do in the West during the summer."

"Oh." Her disappointment was instant but it had been only a request. She could still tell him the truth when he dropped Rin off then leave to digest it all. "Well then, where were we?"

"Beginning a discussion on hanyou in the West. Aside from the unknowns of their appearance and power, do you believe hanyou could survive the scrutiny of the Council as it exists now?"

"I've only met the other Lords once, Sesshoumaru. I don't know them like you do…" Kagome thought and her index finger traced the outline of a red hexagon on his haori as it rested on her thigh. "…but I think so."

"Why?" he replied immediately, genuinely curious to hear her answer.

"Kouhei-sama, for one. Kouji-san and Ryota-taishou, too, actually. The attitudes of most of the youkai you employ, really." she said firmly. "They like Rin, right?"

He nodded. "She faces no hardship living in the West, true."

"No one was overly terrible to me either. If anything, everyone I met was generally more curious and open than some of the humans I've met."

"Odd."

"But true, and if they can welcome a miko and two orphans into their midst without too much trouble, do you really think they would be so unwelcoming to your children?"

"_Our_ children." he corrected.

"Mm hmm. Our… children." she said slowly, letting the idea as much as the words mellow in her brain.

"You are uncomfortable?"

"You're not?" she said quietly, hugging his haori closer. "Gods, we haven't even sat down and had conversations like this but once or twice. When you say it like that, a thousand new thoughts run through my head and I'm not ready to think about… that element of our relationship yet."

"Miko-"

"Nope." she quipped happily, desperate for a distraction.

"Kagome," he sighed ruefully, "you are a conundrum. You will logically convince me to father your pups but cannot discuss even a hint to their conception?"

"Call it a human, female shortcoming and move on." She waved a dismissive hand. "What else are you worried about? Their longevity, wasn't it?"

"Hm. Though there is no way to know how they might be affected."

"I agree." Kagome thought silently for a moment then spoke carefully and slowly. "Inuyasha was three hundred and twelve. How long **could** he have lived?"

"Hanyou are all unique. Relations between our species are rare. For the human to survive the encounter to bare young is even more rare."

Kagome shivered. "**That's** encouraging."

"It is intentional in those cases. You worry unnecessarily. I promise no harm will come to you at my hand."

"Okay..." she considered the implications of **that** for a moment then forced her mind back to the conversation at hand. "You were considered an adult at three hundred years old, right? Humans are considered adults sometime around their twentieth year, give or take. Inuyasha looked like a twenty-something- um, like an adult human at three hundred so is it reasonable to think he would live at least three times that long, like a human today might?"

"Reasonable but unfounded. There is no way to know."

"Another reason to withhold judgement, I think. The unknown is not necessarily scary. We know there's no risk of-" she took a steadying breath and exhaled, "-our children inheriting your father's abilities. That would be my first worry. Beyond that, there are an infinite number of unknowns when it comes to any kids and we'd have to face those as they come. Their longevity is one those. If it's sixty years or three thousand, I would enjoy them while I could."

"The prospect of those many unknowns does not give you pause?"

"Of course, it does but I can handle it. Whatever they are, whatever they look like, however long they live, I would love them. If we assume they could manifest only my powers or yours, I feel confident each of us is prepared, right?"

"Hm." he nodded.

"When it comes to their longevity however, the burden will lie mostly with you, Sesshoumaru. I won't live long enough to see them really grown if they age more like youkai but you will. Can you handle that?"

He was thoughtful for a moment, gazing into the forest beyond, before facing her again.

"One is never prepared for the death of the young. I lament Rin's death and it is many years away. A mortal life is so fleeting…"

A waking nightmare of pale and wrinkled skin, greyed hair, and sightless mahogany eyes sunk heavily into his stomach and Sesshoumaru forgot to breathe. His eyes squeezed shut and the daiyoukai turned his head away. If the miko sensed his discomfort, she allowed him his moment then began again.

"I think about it a different way." Kagome said gently. "You're skipping too far ahead; seeing only the death. There's a lot of _life_ between now and then, for her and for you. Rin will learn so much in the next several years, about herself and the world. That's something you'll- _we'll_ have to support her through. She may marry, have children of her own, and leave you with not just her memory but your grandchildren. Our children might be the same. The big question is whether or not you would consider them a tragedy or a blessing if you outlive even one?"

Regaining his composure as Kagome gently coaxed him through the feelings he wasn't ready to share out loud, Sesshoumaru raised his head again after several moments and looked at her. Was she really so understanding? Was she truly prepared for death in such a calm and rational way? Could he follow her example and consider the future losses in terms of life lived?

He could, and even the mental admission surprised and gave him peace all at once.

"I cannot anticipate the death of fictional children… but I would consider it a worthy task to see pups I raised well grow and go out into the world, yes. The pain of loss would be difficult but, you are correct, life continues and if their memories and contributions are preserved, their accomplishments and legacies could remain a source of pride far into the future."

"Good."

Amber eyes flicked away from her and back up to the stars. Sesshoumaru fully absorbed his own admission that his offspring, even if they were hanyou, could bring him pride and contentment.

Kagome followed suit a moment later, gazing upward, and felt at peace for the first time today. A quiet moment of mutual consideration and acceptance passed between the couple.

"You speak of death so comfortably for a mortal." he began, looking over at her once again.

"I speak of death so comfortably _because_ I'm a mortal, I think." Kagome said to the dark sky. "I see life and death in the same day as a priestess; sometimes in the same hour. We both faced it head-on only four years ago. That feeling, of death breathing down my neck, never leaves me anymore. I don't expect to be attacked at every turn but I find that those moments where it could happen, I can face the idea of dying." She blinked slowly and turned to find him already studying her. "It was hard to understand when I was younger but life is made better because it's limited. Even you'll die one day but you try to live as much as you can, accomplish what you can, while you're here. We're no different that way."

"All of what you say is true." he nodded. "Any battle-hardened soldier could admit the same. You understand the risks of conflict more fully than I realized. Your sense of self-preservation has grown, at least."

"Yes, thank you." Kagome said with a flippant air of sarcasm. "I was a child when I fell- er, when the quest to stop Naraku started. I had no idea what I was doing. If I had it to do again now, I don't know if I could be as brave."

"It is universal not to know one's limits as an adolescent."

"Well, let's hope you're ready to parent a teenager, too, because Rin is nearly there."

"She is reasonable and calm. I anticipate no trouble."

"Ha! I was reasonable and calm as a girl, too, but it _**all**_ changes. Boys, hormones, general angst… It'll come for her, too, believe me."

"All the more reason I shall be grateful for your presence, then." The young woman chuckled and nodded. "There is another concern that plagues me."

"Hmm?" she asked, still smiling.

Kagome waited while Sesshoumaru, powerful inudaiyoukai and Lord of the West, traced a crease in his hakama between two fingers, _fidgeting_. When he looked up, the amber eyes across from her were changed, darkened by worry.

"Have you fully considered-" Sesshoumaru paused again, not wanting to turn the conversation sour after finding mutual comfort in their discoveries. His next concern might change the mood entirely.

"What?" she gently prodded.

His voice took on a gentle tenor, reflecting his consideration, as the next question came.

"Have you considered the hardship in bearing children that look like him?"

"Mmm. Thank you for that." Kagome's eyes softened and held his as she spoke. "They might… look something like him but we can't know."

"Agreed but can you accept a pup that will remind you, forever, of what you lost?"

"You lost him, too. Don't minimize that with me. To answer your question with a question, do you see all humans when you look at Rin?"

"Of course not."

"Exactly. She is human but unique. He was unique and they would be, too. Maybe they look entirely human. Can you parent children that look more human than youkai?"

"Rin is my ward, miko."

"Ka-go-me." she reminded him. When Sesshoumaru only looked up at the sky with a scowl, she chuckled just once. "But I get your point. So, if you accept my worries and I accept yours, are we agreeing that this contract is unnecessary?"

"I will continue to think on it." Sesshoumaru said with a nod.

Kagome's blue eyes flashed in the dark as she tipped her head to the side and tried to assess his mood. Her doubt was evident.

"Truly." he reassured. "There is much to consider. However, the Council cannot deny the pups born between Mates and the prospect is enough to stall their demand. A permanent decision may require your presence, however."

"Okay. That's an improvement over last year." Her expression brightened, smile lighting her eyes and dimpling her cheeks. The young woman rocked backward playfully; hugging legs still draped with the haori that swallowed her.

A new scent reached his nose and it was feminine, pleasant, and sweet.

"You are… satisfied?" he asked, trying to place this new smell.

Cataloguing the many emotions of this human was a weighty task but one he found himself willing to tackle. They had navigated the minefield of this sensitive subject together to their mutual satisfaction, after all. It would be educational to learn human emotions as well as he knew youkai.

"Hmm. Maybe I'll be a decent ambassador for mortals after all." she mused happily.

"You are already a representative for humans in the West."

"What do you mean?"

"My household speaks of little else in your absence." he said with half-hearted exasperation. "Your return to the Palace will be a happy occasion for them all."

Kagome thought for a moment then decided to push him just a little further.

"Just by them?"

Sesshoumaru heard the playfulness in the miko's tone and responded with his own.

"Perhaps not only by the household." he said dismissively.

"Good." Kagome shimmied deeper into his robe, satisfied.

"Rin will also be happy to see you return."

She rolled her eyes and tipped her chin down, smirking at him.

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

A slow, deep chuckle erupted from beside her. Sesshoumaru's eyes closed and his silver head tipped back. The rumbling continued for another few seconds before dancing golden eyes and the remaining grin met Kagome's stunned expression.

"Ask truthfully, Kagome, or This Sesshoumaru will circumvent your wiles."

"You actually laugh!" she smiled.

"Only when the jest is deserving and the company is amiable."

"Oh, so we're amiable now?"

"Miko-"

"Uh uh."

The impetuous woman shook her head and grinned over at him. Sesshoumaru growled for a split second at her childishness then conceded and continued.

"Kagome, we have spent the last hour speaking of nothing but our mutual desire to procreate." A silver eyebrow disappeared into his bangs and the young woman giggled happily.

Now a joke? She was still marveling that the youkai beside her did something as pedantic as chuckle out loud, and now he was making jokes? Flickering lamp lights caught her attention below and Kagome forgot about his acute hearing as she muttered to herself.

"You're more handsome when you smile…" she said quietly, curtained by the now-dry mass of her ebony hair.

"Indeed?" came a mirthful rumble from a few feet away.

Shock. Horror. Mortification. Intense, all-consuming embarrassment. Kagome buried her face in raised knees and stammered a muffled something about not meaning to say that aloud.

"Honesty is paramount between Mates." he grinned, though she couldn't see it.

"Just-" No words followed. She had none. Only soul-crushing humiliation in front of the most powerful demon she'd ever met. The same one she'd be married to for the rest of her life. No big deal.

"Shall I comment, then, on the tempting image you make, draped in my colors and the starlight?"

Kagome turned her head to see him, assess his sincerity, face still fiercely lit with girlish embarrassment. Her gut told her his compliment was genuine but she still didn't know him well enough to be sure.

"Would that truth soothe your discomfort?" he added.

Her chest fluttered in spite of her misgivings as the first fragile threads of affection wove themselves through her heart. His golden eyes never left hers.

"Only if you mean it." she nearly whispered.

She wasn't sure he did. They had only just gotten over one hurdle. Being, she swallowed the thought, _attracted_ to one another was another big step and one that still exposed some unbidden guilt in her heart.

Otherwise, the night was turning out to be better than Kagome could possibly have imagined. A real conversation alone with him, his ear bent by her worries, and her worries alleviated as he remained reasonable and open-minded. Her logic had gotten through to him, as well, if his aura was any indication. When he'd appeared, his youki had been a swarm of sharp needles, stinging and chaotic. Now his energy rolled around him in waves, lapping against hers in a welcoming and familiar way. It felt like they were finally beginning to understand one another, and that felt… good.

Resting her head on silk clad knees but untucked from the protective cave of her arms, Sesshoumaru was closer than she remembered. The barrier of sword and discarded clothes rested just against his left thigh. Her eyes drifted down to the pile of his effects and then back up to him.

The gentle tilt of his moon-drenched head was alluring. His bangs fell to the side, framing the foreign but familiar crescent moon announcing his heritage. The river of silver hair at his back fell like a curtain as his head tipped deeper to the right. His brilliant citrine eyes were bright and curious as they studied her with equal interest.

The changed angle of her head caused a small section of dark hair to fall across her face as she studied him. Kagome was content to leave it alone and sit up to continue their conversation since he had so gracefully navigated her slip up. She startled when a featherlight touch of fingers that weren't her own threaded into the thick hair while she gathered her thoughts.

"Be still." he said gently.

She felt claws tickle her scalp and comb gently through, pushing the offending hair from her forehead. When Kagome could no longer follow his hand, she watched his eyes as he gathered the long, dark strands through his fingers and combed them neatly behind her ear. The daiyoukai was not focused on her face but looking through her, deep in thought as they touched for maybe the third or fourth time in their acquaintance.

"Thank you." she said. Confusion and contentment did battle for dominance in her head. His hand was warm and gentle but his attention was unexpected and new.

Sesshoumaru was unsure why he had groomed her. An impulse to clear the obstruction of her eyes? In the smallest way, his future Mate had needed the attention that he had denied her since their betrothal, even up to his lack of greeting this afternoon. Had guilt driven him to touch her? No. More than that, she was his to care for and he had neglected her.

_His._

Ageless eyes the color of a midmorning sunrise widened and his inhuman pupils narrowed into thin blades as the sum of the emotions and intimacies of today finally married with his inuyoukai nature. That emotion that had rendered him so angry as the vixen pressed her full breasts against Kagome's shoulder and smelled of wanton intent.

_His._

The challenge of his fitness to care for her by the same vixen after the miko had fled the room in tears.

_His._

Sesshoumaru's own desire to discuss their future, to challenge his own ideals, as equals in honor of their connection and to repair the damage his inconsideration had caused.

_His._ Possessiveness. Sometime in the last day, the more bestial part of his existence had taken personal possession of the small woman now curiously watching him.

"Sesshoumaru? Hey, are you okay?"

His fingers lifted from the shell of her ear to curl inward and the pale knuckles of his left hand grazed her soft cheek. He watched her blink as his claws passed through her vision, reflected in those unusual and piercing eyes; so expressive and varied. The slightest flick or flutter and her mood was instantly visible in deep pools the color of the clearest summer sky. A world he never cared to know, the sum total of human emotions, all reflected in the past few minutes just in those eyes. Were they always so?

The rebellious hair that he had tamed behind her ear fell forward again when she cocked her head to look up at him, concern now dominating her expressive gaze. He concluded immediately that she would not appreciate the possessive sentiment as a demoness might. His future Mate was independent, proud, and irascible.

He _could_ demonstrate his desires to keep her safe and contented, however, starting with acquiescing to her request to stay in the human village and see her world. She had fully involved herself in his own during her stay in the Palace. If she appreciated an equal partnership with a Mate, he could tolerate a short stay in Edo to discover whatever there was to know about her humans.

His train of thought was halted when her hand gently grasped his forearm. It was chilled, calloused, and behind it were two very curious cerulean eyes. She did not push his arm away but merely held it gently to gain his attention once again.

"Hey, where did you go?" she grinned up at him.

Sesshoumaru blinked and softened his gaze but was still focused on the stray hair he'd combed.

"I will come to Edo with Rin if your invitation has not expired."

"It hasn't," she smiled, "but what changed your mind?"

He knew the answer the moment she asked. It was the same reason his life continued to change moment after moment since she had refused his order to leave the grove. The reason his thoughts were uncomfortably centered on the prospect of a Mate in a way they had not been in centuries. The reason his youki was cloying to touch her, caress her, mingle with her aura until he knew her completely. The call was growing stronger and even he could not deny it.

Sesshoumaru stopped looking through her and met her eyes with his own, still touching the soft skin of her cheek.

"You."

A demure blush dusted her cheeks and her thumb absently stroked the pale skin of his arm. Kagome opened her mouth to say something but instead, yawned widely and shook her head, blinking slowly.

"Sorry. It must be getting late."

"Hm." he agreed, leaning back across his things and sitting up. "Would you accept my help to the ground? It is indeed late and the human need to sleep is powerful. We are also no longer alone."

"Yes. Thank you. Chinatsu must be wondering where I am."

"The vixen was asleep long ago. No, look below." Sesshoumaru stood and peered silently over the edge of the roof and down to the ground.

"Hmm?" Kagome followed suit and saw Shippou standing at the bottom of the three-story shiro looking angrily up at her while his tail flicked back and forth.

"I thought you came to see me!" the kit yelled, arms crossed across the chest of his black sleeping yukata.

"I did!" she called back. "Don't take that tone with me. You were busy, Shippou! Hold on. We're coming down!"

Sesshoumaru watched the exchange between the woman and her adopted kit with interest. The daiyoukai had forgotten how close and familiar the pair were with each other. Even the feigned annoyance they squabbled with was the product of their mutual comfort.

Sesshoumaru stood and refastened his sash and sword, leaving the miko with his haori. He walked over to stand just behind her as a warm breeze lifted from the ground and she shouted a reminder at the kit about where they were sleeping.

A pleasant, new scent emanated from her as the odd pair finished their yelling match. Kagome smiled contentedly and the scent gained power. The new emotion was sweet and complex, dominated by the essence of… He discreetly sniffed again. Jasmine flowers? What new emotion had given rise to this scent? Truly, she was a wealth of challenges to his senses.

"Shall we?" came Sesshoumaru's low voice, his breath ghosting across her right ear.

Kagome felt a large hand settle across her lower back and looked up. He was close enough that she could feel the heat of his body penetrate the borrowed haori and scant kimono layers beneath. The temptation to just lean back and soak it in almost won out but she couldn't bring herself to do it. It still felt too soon, too familiar, and tonight's conversation had already given her more hope for their future than she could have imagined. That was enough.

"Please." she agreed quietly.

He bent at the waist to position her in his arms. A graceful leap and a second later, they were on the ground. Shippou pounced as soon as Sesshoumaru bent forward to settle her on the dark dirt pathway.

"You guys have been up there for hours!" the kit complained. "I heard yelling and then you just disappeared!"

"It was important, and unplanned, but I'm sorry I worried you. Did you get your assignments done?" the miko asked sweetly.

"Duh. I went to their shiro looking for you then Chinatsu-sensei said I had to stay with her for a while. Why'd I have to stay there?"

Bright green eyes looked accusingly between his mother and the daiyoukai.

"Because sometimes even I have things to talk about that you don't need to hear." Kagome crossed her arms for warmth as much as consternation.

"You remember that I'm older than you, right?" The young kit stared her down and crossed them right back.

Beside them, a silent inu was confused and disgruntled.

"Does he always speak to you in such a disrespectful manner?"

_"Hey!"_

"Yeah. I guess it's kind of our thing. He's mine to look after but he knows he can get away with a smart mouth sometimes."

_"Hello?"_

"Unacceptable. I will expect more discipline once you arrive in the West."

_"What?"_

"Isn't that up to me to decide?"

"If you are expecting to aid me in parenting my ward, I will return the favor. This kit has much to learn about respect and it seems he is less than willing to absorb the lesson on his own."

"Now wait just a second…" Shippou started angrily.

The gathering storm of their individual frustrations was instantly snuffed out when Kagome sneezed and sniffled loudly. Shippou heard the chatter of her teeth and watched one leg tuck itself behind the other to save some body heat. Two pairs of green and golden eyes were immediately laser focused on her and Shippou felt the first twinges of panic come to life.

"Fine, I need a lesson in manners. Come on, Momma. Inside. Now."

"Agreed." the inudaiyoukai said.

Shippou's small hand found hers and he began dragging Kagome toward Chinatsu's rooms, ignoring the quiet stalk of Sesshoumaru behind them.

"You two fuss more than Miroku." she whined, sniffling again. "It's just a little chilly out here."

"And it's warm in there. Come on!"

"In this, the kit and I agree."

Shippou stopped dragging Kagome and rounded angrily on the inu behind them.

"I can take care of her just fine. Aren't you staying somewhere else?" Shippou growled.

Kagome gasped. "Shippou! Being upset I left is one thing but now you're just being rude."

Green eyes glared up at her with a pinched brow of determination and sadness that turned the young kit's eyes down at the corners.

"We don't need his help! I can take care of you. I know where we're going and how to get everything ready. Why's **he** coming?"

"Dull your tongue, kit, or This One may remove it for you." The following low growl had Shippou hunching his shoulders as he continued to stomp forward. "I am seeing you safely to your rooms and then I will depart to gather Rin once I speak with Daichi."

This explanation mollified Shippou somewhat and his grumbling stilled into huffing as they continued to walk.

"Oh." Kagome said, suddenly uncertain.

The scent of yuzu intensified, her nervous apprehension, and the daiyoukai understood immediately. There was a need for reassurance, apparently.

"To inform the reynard that a contract is no longer needed." Sesshoumaru added quietly.

Kagome exhaled a breath she hadn't meant to hold in the first place. Now that they were on the ground, back in the real world, the whole conversation prior sounded so out of place and intensely personal that she wanted nothing more than to crawl into a bed and bury herself in a quilt for the next year. The heel of her cool palm smacked against her forehead in embarrassment.

_'What were you thinking, Kagome? Reasoning with him about having his kids? Who does that? Idiot!'_

"Miko? Are you unwell?"

"No, just a little mortified. I'll get over it. That was… a lot."

"Hm." was Sesshoumaru's only reply.

"What was?" Shippou asked innocently.

"Oh, just logistics for our move next year."

"Ew." Shippou wrinkled his nose. "Glad I missed all of that then."

"Me, too, kiddo. Me, too." Kagome sighed.

A silent walk and another few minutes found the trio standing outside of the shiro the head reynard and his Mate shared with their kin. The black exterior and tile made the whole building nearly invisible in the night. Kagome might have missed it entirely on their way if not for the glowing statues of roaring kitsune framing the large, arched main doors. Each of the statues' bellies were carved out, mouths wide open with fangs bared, and the youki trapped within burned with an intense crimson glow. They were intimidating and primal, and Kagome wondered why Chinatsu had chosen such fearsome decorations.

The doors opened with the creak the heavy wood before Shippou had even reached out to touch them. Once inside, even the starlight was gone and Kagome relied on Shippou's senses to find the room through the endless, pitch dark hallways. He dragged her along, left and right, and up a stair or two until finally, the kit slid open the doors of a cozy guest room somewhere in the east wing.

The room she and Chinatsu had shared during the early evening was small but fully furnished. The anteroom with the futon, low dressing table, and screen was just as pitch dark as the common room. No problem for youkai eyes to see into but her tired, human eyes strained to see any shapes at all and she gave up. Kagome elected to stay out in the hallway while Shippou took care of the lighting situation.

"Is there a brazier in there?" she called into the darkness.

"Yeah but there's nothing else. Hold on, I'll go get some wood and be right back."

"Thanks, Shippou."

Sesshoumaru waited in the center of the dark hallway with Kagome, glancing up and down with a scowl and his nose testing the air.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing. Do not concern yourself." She would most definitely concern herself if he divulged the truth.

"Are you referring to the stalker?" she supplied. He might have understood her meaning but seemed reticent to reply. "I mean, the malicious intent skirting the borders of the village? Yeah, I have. Is it a youkai? For some reason, I can't discern who or what it is."

"It is youkai. Your awareness is growing then. Years ago, This One got the better of you at every turn."

"Har har… Again, I was lucky not to trip over my own feet. Scratch that. I **did** trip over my own feet. Several times, in fact."

"That is not reassuring for your journey back to the human village."

"Whoever that is out there has been there all day. I felt a similar presence on the way here but they stayed just out of my range and I never got a good feel for the youki. Do you know who it is?"

"No," he replied quickly, "but I intend to find out as soon as you are safely within."

The sad and bereft Sesshoumaru of the future crossed her mind and her hand twitched at her side, almost rising to touch his arm, his shoulder, anything to let him know she did care about his safety. For now, a shallow wish would have to do.

"Be careful."

"Your concern is unnecessary."

"Oh, probably but you have it anyway."

He inclined his head respectfully, if begrudgingly.

"As you say."

The dark room beyond suddenly lit with a flickering, orange glow and Kagome sighed with relief in anticipation of the warmth and rest.

"Thank the kami. I'm-" She couldn't finish as another wide, unstoppable yawn cut her off.

"Sleep, miko. I leave to retrieve my ward tonight and we will return in the morning." His instincts to provide for her won over his stoicism and an offer came to mind. "Would you consent to travel with Rin on Ah-Un, or do you prefer to return to Edo alone?"

"No, flying would definitely be faster… and much cooler. Thank you." Kagome smiled and looked over her right shoulder at the kit. "Don't you agree, Shippou?"

"Yeah, I guess." he shrugged, looking disinterestedly over at the couple. "Now, come on. You need sleep, Momma."

The kitsune busied himself by silently dragging the futon out of the corner and nearer to the brazier. Kagome understood he had a need to stay away from both she and Sesshoumaru. Why he felt the need to do so was a question best left alone until after the inudaiyoukai left them for the night. The back of her hands felt the brush of heavy silk and she remembered Sesshoumaru's haori.

"Oh, wait. Before you go…"

Kagome turned around and peeled the heavy robe away one shoulder at a time. She looked down into her own cleavage, sighed, and wrapped the two thinner kimono around herself as tightly as was possible. Once she was sure it was covering everything, as much as the short robes could cover, Kagome straightened the oversized outer layer with a gentle shake and laid it across her arm. Pivoting slowly, she turned around and presented Sesshoumaru with his own haori.

"This is yours, I believe."

"You have no further need of it?" he asked, accepting the garment from her arms.

"No, my clothes are all in here and thank you. You saved me from indecency." she grinned.

"The outfit of your youth was nearly as indecent and you defended its necessity on more than one occasion."

"Noticed my short skirt, did you?" she winked playfully.

"Hn. If you could scent male interest as I can, you would have discarded the 'skirt' immediately in favor of more modest clothing."

"That bad?"

"Vile." he scowled.

"Pfft! Well, you can thank Chi-chan for this one."

Sesshoumaru took on step forward and bored his amber eyes into hers. An impulse to touch her overcame him again and without witnesses in the silent hallway, he gave in to it.

"On a different day, perhaps This Sesshoumaru would." One pale arm raised just enough to brush his fingers against her forearm. "I will return in the morning to collect you. Good night, Kagome."

"Good night, Sesshoumaru." she said quietly.

The balls of her feet pressed against the floor, almost raising her up, before she realized, mortified, what that meant. The young woman swore she saw the faintest hint of a grin on his lips as the inu turned on his heel and left.

"Please be careful." she wished one more time, watching his back disappear into the darkness.

The miko turned around and walked back into the warming anteroom, and was met with two rather irked emerald eyes.

"Finally." Shippou growled. "Now, please explain to me what in the seven hells all of that was?"

Kagome sat heavily down on the futon with another wide yawn. Shippou sat down a few feet away but crossed his tiny fox legs, unwound the ribbon around his short hair and gave it dog-like shake, then stared seriously up at her.

"I'll explain some of it but there's going to be subjects the two of us need to discuss that I'd really rather not share. The important thing is that Sesshoumaru and I understand each other a little better. I… feel better about our future there. He wants to take care of us-"

"You. He wants to take care of you. I can tell that much."

"He'll watch out for you too, I promise." The flick of her kit's tail told more about how he was feeling than even he realized. "Are you nervous about going now?"

"I wasn't before but now… I've been thinking that maybe I'd be better off staying here."

"Why?"

He was growing up and Kagome knew that. He had a right to make this decision and Shippou would be safe here. Gods, but she'd miss him.

"I just feel like you'll be too busy and I can learn more if I stay here. What am I supposed to do there? He's not gonna teach me anything and Rin will only pester me with poetry and girl stuff."

"One day, you won't mind 'girl stuff' so much… I understand how you feel, though. We don't have to make a decision tonight. Or next month. I'm here if you want to talk through your feelings with me. If, in the end, you still want to come back here to live most of the time, I will try to understand. There's one thing I want you to know, though."

"More stuff about Sesshoumaru?" he said sourly.

"No. That I love you, Ship, and no matter where we live or who we live with, that will never change. No one and nothing could ever replace you. I'm here. Always. No matter what."

"I know. I'll think about it."

"Thanks. That's enough for now. Now let's get some sleep, kiddo. I'm beat."

A small fanged yawn and a nod were his answers. After tucking him in, Kagome finally laid down to sleep with pleasant thoughts and peaceful heart.

…

Sesshoumaru listened for the sounds of the miko and the kit settling down to sleep. Her assurances that Shippou was first in her heart were expected but still oddly discomfiting. He could not make such a claim of his own ward. She was an independent being and not in need of the gentle words the kit seemed to constantly pry out of his adoptive mother. The rustlings of bedding turned into silence, heartbeats slowed, and soon their gentle, rhythmic breathing was the lone sound in their rooms.

The weight of the haori on his arm drew his attention. Refitting himself with the ornamental layer took only moments and he inhaled again and again as the fabric released her scent with every fold and tuck. It would last for days and bring comfort during the journey home to retrieve Rin.

His pack was settled for the night. It was time to hunt.

Sesshoumaru stood inhumanly still in the center of the village and listened. The malevolent presence circling the village was back and just beyond the shiro. The kitsune barrier was doing its job and keeping the unwelcome intruder away. If the youkai was attempting to draw him out, it would succeed. The inu raised his nose to the breeze to learn what he could from the wind about both the village and the youkai.

A more familiar scent caught his attention and grew stronger.

"Daichi." the daiyoukai greeted flatly.

The kitsune stood beside Sesshoumaru and remained silent for another moment. Two pairs of severe eyes, one gold and one silver, stared into the forest beyond the village. Daichi's voice was stern when he began.

"He is a kitsune, Sesshoumaru, and my kit."

"Then why have you not confronted him? The rage and intent to kill is nearing bloodlust. Can you not sense it?"

The reynard took a few steps forward, leaving Sesshoumaru to stare at his back. When he turned around, the defeated and helpless look in Daichi's eyes surprised the inu.

"What should I say that I have not already? 'Stop this insanity and return home'? 'Renounce your mad ideas to rule the humans once more and return to live a life of pleasure and betterment'?" The fox sighed sadly. "I cannot reason with him. Chinatsu is mercifully asleep or Tsuneyori would upset her all over again."

"Your pup needs to be brought to heel if he wishes to subjugate the humans. They are weak alone but possess great power in numbers. The human monks of the south have been traveling in large packs and killing youkai indiscriminately from the southern shores to the borders of the West." The fragile peace of the last few years was motivation enough to keep a rogue kitsune at bay. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes in the direction of the pup's father. "Do not allow Tsuneyori to give them further cause to hunt down the innocent. Stop him now or This One will."

The air shimmered crimson around Daichi, his youki swirling violently and lifting the knee length ebony hair into snake-like tendrils that whipped all around his thin body. Nine coal-black tails tipped with pale fur broke free and the kitsune's long fangs grew longer still as his face warped and elongated into the true form of a monstrous fox. Inky black bled into the white of Daichi's eyes and blood red pupils lit with youki in his anger. The snarl that accompanied the change in Daichi was fierce and biting.

"Do not threaten me, Sesshoumaru of the West!" A shaking, clawed finger was leveled at Sesshoumaru. Amber eyes narrowed back in warning. "The bitch that bore you was not a thought when my kind ruled the humans once before. I will deal with Tsuneyori in my own time. You will leave him be."

Sesshoumaru kept his own aura under tight control despite the reynard's posturing. The voice that cut through the swirling youki was deep and firm. The inudaiyoukai would allow the fox his tantrum but he must understand the seriousness of his pup's intent.

"For as long as he does no harm. Let me make clear that should he hunt the miko again, I will end him, Daichi."

The youki that was pressing against his senses abruptly left, everything about the reynard shrunk, and the plaza was once again dark and quiet. The kitsune's mood shifted like the bamboo surrounding them: quickly this way then another. Such rapid changes left Sesshoumaru disoriented and frustrated. Kitsune were strange youkai. Alike to inu in so many ways, but so mercurial and unpredictable. Sesshoumaru reflected that this one was stranger still.

"I applaud your defense of the human," Daichi said casually, one hand finding his right hip, "but would it not be easier if she were to simply disappear?"

The fox's clawed fingers stirred the air dismissively then clenched tightly. Sesshoumaru smelled Daichi's blood and understood the threat for what it was.

"To bring yourself so low, pup." His ebony mane shook with his head. "She is a pretty distraction but still human. How can you slaughter armies of her kind then bed her in the same year?" Daichi sneered. "A novelty popular with your breed, I suppose. You inherited _that_ from your sire at least."

The kitsune tipped his chin up and his silver eyes gleamed with mirth.

Why was the kitsune baiting him? Sesshoumaru recognized the threats and insults for what they were: an attempt to goad him into anger, but to what end? Daichi gained nothing by dying a gruesome death in the center of his own village. His claws itched to dig the truth from the bowels of the teasing fox.

"The miko is my concern. Your pup is yours." Sesshoumaru raised his chin and glowered. "As long as our interests do not conflict, I will leave the boy to you."

Sesshoumaru turned around and walked slowly back toward the miko's room, deep in thought and no longer certain of Kagome's safety here in the village.

_'I will warn her of the danger as we travel back tomorrow. Perhaps, staying the night nearby would be wise.'_

The vixen would keep Kagome from harm, if her amorous overtures were any indication. He could fetch Rin in the morning but only after Chinatsu rose and joined his intended for a morning meal.

Conjectures would not help Sesshoumaru puzzle out the reynard's intent but the inu knew who might. He had already made the decision to reconcile with his mother during this courting period. It was time to pay a visit to Miyu no Tsukihana, his mother's palace, and gain some insight into Daichi's threats. If anyone alive knew what the odd fox was plotting, it was Kikuko.

…

Daichi watched the inu retreat to guard his human for the night. Dogs were so predictable. So simple. They pad their dens and chase their tails and snarl when you corner them. Sesshoumaru was no exception. His strength was to be feared, his ferocity was legendary, but he had a weakness that took the same feminine shape as that of all males. Daichi's own slept peacefully with his next litter safely within her.

"Guard your treasure well, Sesshoumaru. If you hold too tightly, such a gem is liable to slip through your fingers…"

...

**AN:** Sorry for the delay but this one is important. I wanted the conversation to feel genuine and it went through so many edits to get there. I'm happy with it now and I hope you are, too. Next time, back to Edo, meet the new face in town, and Sesshoumaru learns the truth about Kagome!


	30. Chapter 30 - Separation:Year 1:Summer 3

**Author's Note:** I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 30 – The Separation: Year 1: Summer: Part III**

Sleepy blue eyes cracked slowly open, fluttering once and then twice, blinking the heaviness of sleep away. The world around Kagome was warm and cozy as she lay buried in the softness of the futon and covered with a heavy quilt. For the first time in almost a year, her dreams had been a collection of happy memories from past school days, the laughter around a campfire during the quest to reclaim the jewel, and the pride and relief she had felt in the spring when she was finally strong enough to draw a bow. Memories and emotions that were safe and joyful. What had been so different about last night?

The soft fur of Shippou's tail brushed against her arm as he dreamt and twitched, and Kagome raised her head and smiled softly down at him. Careful not to rustle the bedding, she rolled out and rose to stretch lean arms high into the air.

"I haven't slept that well in months…" she whispered to the empty room.

The early morning sun poured in through the screens on the far side of the room and dotted the floor with sunshine. Early morning crickets were singing through the window and the world outside wasn't yet as awake as she was.

"A good day for traveling. Time to get changed and pack up." Kagome nodded firmly, excited to return home and report to her friends.

The miko was halfway through changing into her robes when a soft knock sounded at the door.

Kagome sensed Chinatsu's vast and impish aura, and opened the door with a smile and a finger to her lips before looping the last tie of her hakama. The vixen's large fox ears twitched for sounds of danger but Kagome shook her head and pointed over to the sleeping kit. Chinatsu nodded, understanding, as she entered with a large tray of breakfast and tea.

"So, you are leaving today, little one? How sad." the vixen said quietly, placing the tray in the center of the low table.

"I'll be back in the spring." Kagome said over a shoulder, shoving something deep into her pack and then straightening. "It's been so nice to see you all but I have so much to do when I get back and time waits for no one."

Chinatsu palmed her round belly with a sigh. "How very true. I'm afraid I'll be quite busy the next time you visit our settlement."

"I bet you will!" Kagome grinned. "In the best way."

"Judging by the smile you wear this morning, I take it reconciliation with your inu went well, then?"

"My… inu?" Kagome's face warmed and she turned away from the curious fox. "Our talk was good and I feel better, but I don't think Sesshoumaru would appreciate being called 'mine,' Chi-chan."

"Oh ho, but I believe he would. My gracious…" Chinatsu sat awkwardly at the table and heaved a sigh before continuing. "He was quite adamant this morning that I greet you personally and ensure you were ready to leave by midmorning. The Lord of the West has a peculiar way of making a polite request sound like an undeniable order. I find myself commanded by a male less than one sixth my age."

"He completely does." Kagome nodded with a grin. "He volun-tells everyone around him. I'm sorry if he was forceful."

"Oh, it is to be expected. He is used to his own way, after all, but more than that," Chinatsu lowered her chin and grass green eyes watched the miko from behind dark lashes and a veil of dark mahogany bangs, "our Sesshoumaru has discovered that which is 'his.' What will the little miko do now, I wonder?"

"His? Wait, you said 'this morning'? Did he stay here last night?" she asked, brow furrowed in disbelief and confusion.

"Indeed, little one. He spent the night in the room above you. His aura was most unsettled in the beginning, but calmed as the night wore on. This was perhaps the only time I have felt the whole of it so open and free. So much raw power in one so young…" the vixen purred. "He was your protector through the night, Kagome. Truly, there is no escaping the call for him now." she sang impishly.

_'My dreams… and Sesshoumaru stayed here all night? Could that have been why- Wait…'_

"The call?" Kagome asked innocently, still absorbing the fact that Sesshoumaru had stayed here for her. "He said something like that last night but there was so much else going on, I forgot to ask."

"Has he not educated you about the norms of courting? How we females test our suitors? Goodness! Leaving everything to me, Sesshoumaru… For shame! Be glad your kit is asleep. The call, little one, is how we refer to the need, the pull, to Mate."

The young woman's eyes went wide and she sputtered as the last errant piece of clothing was shoved roughly into her bag. When she stood again, Kagome shouldered the pack to place near the door and rounded on Chinatsu.

"Well, we're going through that whole ceremony in another year so he can just hold his horses _**and**_ keep his pants on." The sleeves of her haori overlapped with a flourish as the generously sleeved arms crossed indignantly.

Chinatsu's chipper laugh caused Shippou to stir and Kagome shushed her with a frantic wave before sitting down across the low table to start breakfast. The vixen poured Kagome some tea and passed it over before filling her own cup.

"Dear, I do not mean the physical act, though you **are** intended already and absolutely no one would blame you for wholly _seizing_ the chance with both hands to just-"

"Focus, Chi-chan. Kami in heaven, those hormones have really got you wound up."

"Daichi minds not," the vixen winked, "but I digress. Sit. I will explain."

When the young woman did as Chinatsu commanded and sat, she swallowed and prepared for more embarrassment.

"Kagome, I mean he feels the call to bind himself to you. To commit himself to your health and happiness as is our way, and prove his fitness. Be prepared, little miko. Your Sesshoumaru is as stubborn as they come and he may be a handful."

Kagome's chopsticks froze in midair, halfway between serving the generous portion of bamboo shoots and her own bowl.

"Oh gods, nobody said anything about this! How do I handle it? What am I supposed to do?"

"Nothing, dear one." Chinatsu patted Kagome's hand across the table. "Sit comfortably and enjoy the attention of a more than capable male." When her companion did not seem relieved but began chewing her lip, Chinatsu decided more explanation was needed. "If you are feeling up to it, and wish to entice him, challenge his instincts to provide and protect. Such requests will deepen your Bond when the time comes."

"Entice… him? Deepen our Bond?"

The conversation in her mother's living room with her grown son and the forlorn version of Sesshoumaru came to mind.

_'If this could help, if it's like the daiyoukai version of dating, this might be my chance to help change things. But am I really ready for that?'_

"What would I have to do?" Kagome asked hesitantly.

"Oh, each male is different. What does your Lord of the West pursue in his spare time?"

_'Flying? Swordplay? Barking orders… None of that will work. Think harder, Kagome. There must be something…'_

"Goodness, darling! Do not strain yourself!" Chinatsu chuckled. "Be easy and pay attention. I am sure he has many pleasurable pressure points that you might find if you tried."

"Even your suggestions are suggestive, Chi-chan." Kagome grimaced. "Go find Daichi-sama and let me pack, for heaven's sake. Now I have _more_ to think about."

"Perhaps I will. I will miss you, Kagome. Do not stay away long. Your Sesshoumaru is handsome but perhaps he will agree to share." she purred but the effect was ruined when a wide, fanged yawn stopped her flirting. "Now, I shall leave you to pack and I am returning to my bed."

Chinatsu rose as gracefully as she could manage and walked around the low table to kiss Kagome on the head.

"I highly doubt he's the sharing type." Kagome mused. "For the record, I'm not either." Chinatsu laughed and Kagome's smaller hand held hers for just a moment with a gentle and friendly smile. "I'll miss you, Chi-chan. Good luck with the kits. I can't wait to meet them."

Chinatsu walked to the door, waved once more, and left the miko to eat her breakfast and finish packing. Shippou woke a few minutes later, groggy and dragging, and planted himself at the table with a wide, fanged yawn.

"Sleep well?" she asked happily.

"Mmm hmm…" he nodded.

Shippou grabbed a bowl of rice from the tray and the chopsticks before pausing and looking up at her with embarrassment and guilt in his eyes.

"I missed sleeping with you. I don't sleep quite as good when I'm here."

"Quite as 'well,' Shippou. Well." she lectured. "And me neither."

"Too early for lessons, Momma."

Kagome chuckled and resumed packing as Shippou started eating.

"And I'm sorry I was angry yesterday." he mumbled as her back was turned to check the strap of her quiver.

"Don't be sorry for how you feel but you do need to realize when to hold your tongue." She raised a dark eyebrow in his direction. "Sesshoumaru can't hurt you because of who you are to him now, but anyone else might not be so forgiving."

"I'm not anything to _him_." Shippou said honestly.

_'Oh, but you will be, Ship.'_ Kagome knew firsthand how tightly bound they would be.

"Yes, you are. You are mine and you'll be his, too. You have a year to decide how to feel about that but he'll adopt you as pack, I'm sure. That's how it works."

"You guys talk about that last night?" he asked, curious.

"No, we actually talked about you while we were in the West last year."

"Oh."

"Deciding what happens to you was first on my list after that meeting, if you remember. Now, finish up your breakfast. They're gonna be back soon, I'm sure."

Shippou ate with more gusto as a plan formulated in his mischievous brain.

"Good… I should still have enough time." he whispered, grinning.

…

After packing and breakfast, it was nearly midmorning and most of the kitsune of the village were out and about. Some sitting quietly and studying the others, some working illusions in the practice spaces between the buildings, and the gaggle of kits all running this way and that, cackling and shoving around the edge of the central pond. Eyes as blue as the morning sky searched the village for her kit but he was nowhere to be seen.

Kagome hefted her pack and quiver higher, and shouldered the steel-tipped staff with a smile. Walking out of the midnight-colored shiro and blinking into the sunlight, she took a deep breath and exhaled happily. The weather was warm and humid. Last night, the village had felt like a cage but this morning, the air and her heart both felt free and clear.

"Having a pleasant morning, Kagome?" came a lilting voice from the shadows.

"Hmm?"

The miko quickly turned around, unsettled by the surprise visitor she hadn't detected at all, and exhaled as the coal-black head of Daichi poked out with a wide grin and crinkled, silver eyes from behind one of the oversized kitsune statues.

"Oh, Daichi-sama, it's you." Kagome sighed and bowed. "Sorry. I was memorizing the sights. I do love it here."

"I am glad to hear it. And we cannot tempt you to stay? I know Chinatsu would be most pleased to see more of you." he purred, tipping his chin down with allure in his eyes.

"Not you, too!" she exclaimed, to which Daichi chuckled lowly and stepped closer.

His dark green kimono was trimmed with the image of a panther stalking upward from the hem and it flashed and wavered as he stepped into the sun. Kagome swore the embroidered beast had climbed higher as the ancient reynard met her at the edge of the plaza.

"I know you have responsibilities elsewhere but do not forget us. You are always most welcome as an honored guest."

The kitsune held his arms open and Kagome blinked, confused. When Daichi motioned for her to come closer with a flick of his wrist, she understood but remained cautious. He had never asked for such a thing before but it seemed discourteous to refuse the village head when they had allowed her to stay.

"I didn't know you were one for hugs, Daichi-sama."

"I am grown affectionate in my old age, little miko. Humor this old fox. Four thousand years of life breeds regret for those things that I did not do when I had the chance."

Kagome stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the kitsune's middle, giving him a brief but sincere hug.

"You don't look a day over a thousand to me." she chuckled into his chest.

Kagome tried to pull away but Daichi held her fast and whispered in her ear.

"You are still hunted, Kagome. Travel with care on your journey home."

The kitsune heard her heart beat more rapidly, listened to the blood rush faster through her veins, and her lungs sucked air deeper and more purposefully. The biting scent of vinegar rose from her and Daichi grinned over her head before frowning with false worry.

"Why?" she asked meekly and pulled away.

"That I cannot say. Your Sesshoumaru would be most upset, however, should any harm come to you now that you are claimed. Be alert but…" he paused with a thin finger to his chin. "I am sure he would defend you with his life should the need arise."

_'That's what I'm trying to prevent, dammit.'_ Kagome thought sadly.

Something was wrong with the future Sesshoumaru. He had seemed stiff, cautious, and moved with less grace and strength than this one. The differences in his eyes and countenance were more drastic than she had realized but after last night, his future self's condition began to worry her. There was more that the future inudaiyoukai was holding back, she was sure. There was no relief in his aura after they spoke, no peace, just more worry and sadness right up until the moment he had released her to leap away.

The chaos of her return to the past still gnawed at her, too. Were Shippou and Sesshoumaru okay? How had that battle played out after she left?

The glistening silver of the head reynard's large eyes gave her pause. It was almost as if he knew what she was thinking, or was puzzling it out as the thoughts developed in her mind. He was so odd and unreadable that her conversations with him always left her unsettled.

"Thank you, Daichi-sama. I'll be careful."

"Good. Now-" He clapped suddenly and loudly, causing Kagome to jump. "-you may want to talk to your Shippou, sooner rather than later, about whom he decides to mimic." the elder kitsune chuckled.

"Huh?"

Kagome followed the pale, clawed finger that now pointed to the three-tired, bedrock fountain on the far side of the plaza. Sitting on the edge of the fountain was… Sesshoumaru? When had he gotten here? No, his aura was all wrong, muddled and discontinuous. Something wasn't quite right…

"Sesshoumaru?" she said at normal volume, but he didn't turn to look at her.

_'What's wrong with him?'_

Adding to absurdity of the moment was the group of kits all gathered around him and cackling with laughter. Most of them were already holding their sides and doubled over with tears in their eyes as they watched the Lord of the West… pick his nose? With his eyes crossed?

Then it clicked.

"Oh, kami in heaven… **Shippou!**" she yelled, biting her lip to stop her own sputtering laugh from breaking free.

It was wrong. Shippou absolutely shouldn't have done it, but in a hundred years or a thousand, this image would never leave her brain.

A second later, fear took over. She, herself, had said some unforgiving things to the daiyoukai, challenged his patience on more than one occasion already, and he had forgiven her, but if Sesshoumaru landed in this village with Shippou still transformed and finger-deep in his own right nostril, Kagome might not be able to talk the daiyoukai down from maiming or worse.

"Shippou, stop that right now!" she called, jogging over to him.

In the chaos, her kit had failed to notice his mother arriving in the plaza.

"Oh shit!" he gasped, still Sesshoumaru but now leaning back in terror.

His swear came out as his own higher-pitched voice of youth and Kagome thanked the kami that he didn't sound like the inu, too. Her appreciation for his stoicism would go right out the window for the rest of her days.

"Language, mister! Are you really going to try **that** hard to piss him off? Take it off right now!"

"It's good, right?" he grinned proudly. "Don't worry so much." the Shippou-Sesshoumaru said with a dismissive wave, "He won't be back for hour-"

Falsely golden eyes raised to the sky, stricken with true fear, as a familiar and oppressive youki pressed on their senses from high above. The roar of an approaching dragon garnered cheers from the other kits but the color drained from the Shippou-Sesshoumaru's face and he went silent.

"You were saying?" Kagome said sarcastically.

"I can't take it off!" he squeaked desperately; panic-stricken eyes boring into her for help.

"Oh shit! Why not?"

"To do one this complicated without the tail, I needed a charm and it lasts for another half hour or so!"

"He'll be able to see you from up there in about two seconds…" she thought out loud. "Run! Into the woods! Don't you dare come back until it's gone. I'll stall."

_"Gah!"_

Kagome laughed aloud as the Shippou-Sesshoumaru jumped up from the fountain's edge and wind-milled his generously sleeved arms all the way to the bamboo forest. Shippou swore again when he tripped and fell on his face just inside, unused to the bulky clothing and long legs. The miko was still laughing aloud after watching the fake Sesshoumaru's boots fly over his head when the light breeze created by the arrival of the genuine article lifted a few tendrils of hair around her face. Sesshoumaru's agitated aura needled over her back at close range.

"Good morning, Sesshoumaru." Kagome chirped, turning around. "Did you have a pleasant trip?"

Sesshoumaru snarled and stared down at her with angry amber eyes.

"Hello, Kagome-sama!" chirped Rin from the back of Ah-Un.

"Hi, Rin-chan! I'm so happy to see you. That kimono is almost as lovely as you are!" Kagome waved at the girl then looked up and down at the daiyoukai holding the reins. "Why are **you** so grumpy?"

"Do not attempt to pretend that your kit is not at this moment hiding from This Sesshoumaru."

"Is he?" Kagome said innocently. "I thought he went to collect his things."

"You lie as poorly as you climb." He jerked his chin to gesture at the red, angry scrapes on her forearms from her ascent to the roof last night. "The pup is owed a punishment for his disrespect."

The inu growled again and leaned to the right to step around the grinning young woman.

"Wait a second." she said, placing a hand lightly on his arm. "I'm pretty sure he's just acting out because he's insecure about his place in your world after last night. Don't make it worse by calling him out in front of every kitsune he's ever known. He needs understanding, not punishment."

He scoffed loudly and furrowed pale eyebrows, looming over her.

"Are you suggesting I should reassure the fox who used my own image as a public insult only moments ago?"

Her nod was immediate. "That's exactly what I'm telling you. Welcome to life as the parent of a kitsune. Coincidentally, how are you at scrubbing ink out of silk?"

Sesshoumaru didn't move a muscle but narrowed his eyes further.

"No."

"No? 'No' what?"

"**You** will discipline the kit and ensure he never repeats the behavior. In this one instance, I will leave his disrespect to you. Should the event repeat itself, I will handle him personally."

"That is entirely fair." she conceded. "I'll make sure he gets the message. In the meantime, think about what you'll tell him when he asks. Shippou wants to know he has a place in the West. It's up to you to tell him what that place is."

"You ask me to consider his future right now? Your timing is as ill-conceived as his."

"No, right now he still looks like you and is hiding in the bamboo forest until the charm-" Kagome snorted aloud, no longer able to stifle the image of the daiyoukai standing in front of her with a finger up his nose, even as the real thing glared menacingly down at her. "-until the charm- Pfft! Wears off! _Ha ha ha!_"

The other kits joined in her laughter and soon there was a ring of cackling kits, a miko with happy tears running down her cheeks, a finely dressed Rin still atop a twin-headed dragon, and a seething inudaiyoukai.

"I will await you in the forest beyond when you regain control of your sense!" he yelled over the commotion. "Come." he barked at the dragon still carrying a very confused Rin.

The heavy, crunching steps of clawed dragon feet faded away as her laughter did. Kagome wiped her eyes, sighed happily, and marched into the woods to find Shippou.

…

Sesshoumaru led the dragon tamely through the last of the bamboo. He watched Rin as the lower branches snapped around Ah-Un's large body. She had covered her head as he instructed and crouched low against the saddle. Soon, the thick masses of green gave way to the older forest and the pathways between the trees was much more accommodating. Rin sat up and brushed the fallen leaves and twigs from her kimono. Sesshoumaru scented her concern, the musty smell of dying roses, gaining power. Her question, seconds later, was not a surprise.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Hm?"

"Are Shippou and Kagome-sama still coming with us?"

"Once the kitsune is brought to his senses, they will join us."

"Are they all right?"

"Hm."

Wondering himself how much longer they might be, Sesshoumaru reached out with his youki to find her glowing, blue reiki still pouring forth. The intensity of it still surprised him. If he closed his eyes, she would be the likeness of the sun in a dark sky.

_'She either refuses, consciously, to shield herself or enjoys being a beacon to youkai of power.'_ he lamented.

Something was different about her usually soothing aura, however. At its core, her energy was pure and unaffected but something about their situation was causing her reiki to swirl uncomfortably. Was the kit pushing his boundaries further? Did she sense danger nearby? Another stuttering thrum of her reiki left him more cautious than curious.

"Rin."

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Stay with Ah-Un. I will return." He shifted his eyes to the dragons watching him expectantly. "Guard her well."

Rin patted their necks affectionately as she watched her protector stalk into the woods.

…

Several yards north into the thicket of bamboo, Shippou laid on his back in the leaves that padded the forest floor. The illusion had melted away a few minutes ago and his small, fur vest lay splayed wide open like his arms. Kagome stepped into the small clearing and squatted down beside him.

"Hey, kiddo." she said quietly.

"Hey, Momma."

The miko sat down and crossed her legs, resting gentle hands atop her knees, and uncloaked her aura. Shippou sighed when the familiar caresses of her energy reached him.

"You okay?"

Shippou stared up at the sky and spoke to her in the distracted, nonchalant way kids often do when they're thinking hard.

"Yeah. Just… I realized I'm not very good at anything."

"That is **not** true but tell me why you think it is." Kagome said patiently.

Shippou sat up in a flurry of leaves and his tail swished slowly back and forth, just once, while the thoughts gathered.

"I can't control my resting form and I can't do hard illusions without help. I can't even fight. Why would he want me around?"

"Do you need him to want you around?"

"Well, we're gonna live there, aren't we? I don't want him to hate me running around his house."

"Why don't you ask him?"

Kagome sat up straighter and Shippou felt the pulse of her aura wash over the small clearing.

"No way! I'd ask him about his _feelings_, he'd melt me, and that'd be it… and I know what you're doing." he said slyly.

"But will he?" she winked. "I won't say his melting days are over, but Sesshoumaru won't hurt you while I'm living. Respect where it's due, of course, don't make him angry just to make him angry."

Kagome tucked her chin and stared down her nose at the nervously grinning kit.

"Okay fine. Maybe I wanted him to get mad."

"And you succeeded. Did it make you feel better?"

"No." Shippou sighed.

None of his questions had been answered, _could_ be answered by Kagome. He didn't feel any stronger or more prepared for life since starting school. Kagome could keep training him to a point but he didn't want to use a bow like her, or a staff like Miroku. Sango was too busy with the kids to teach him swordplay. What's a kid supposed to do? What would he do when he grew up? What would he be? What _could_ he be?

"Then the behavior will not repeat itself?" came the deep voice from the edge of the clearing.

Kagome and Shippou shared a falsely surprised _look_ between them.

Sesshoumaru ducked down under a particularly large and leafy bamboo branch, his silver hair falling forward to brush the ground. As he righted himself, golden eyes found her first and Kagome smiled gently to let him know his presence was welcome. She measured the daiyoukai for signs of wrath but his aura was peaceful, and his eyes were serious but not severe. It took three strides for the inu to make the center of the small clearing and both adults heard the small kit gulp with trepidation.

"Nuh- No. I won't do it again."

"See that you do not."

"So, what happens now?" Shippo asked nervously.

Kagome surprised the daiyoukai by standing up, brushing the leaves from her backside, and clasping her hands behind her back.

"Now, I leave you two alone to sort out how you'll deal with each other for the rest of your lives."

"Momma!"

"Miko-"

"Nope. We talked about this." she said to Sesshoumaru. It was her name or nothing from now on. "Ship, I love you. Good luck."

Kagome patted the kit's head and hummed merrily as two pairs of eyes watched her retreat, both youkai at a loss for words.

"Is the woman always so unpredictable?" the inu asked, still watching her back retreat into the bamboo.

"Nah. I could've told you that's what she was planning. I didn't think you'd actually come."

"The tension in her aura was a ruse?"

"Mm hmm. You fell for it, too."

The quick turn of his head to scowl down at the young male made Shippou swallow again.

"If you understand that there cannot be a repeat of this juvenile and disrespectful behavior, there is nothing more to say."

Shippou realized he was about to lose his chance to sort this out when Sesshoumaru turned around and took a step back into the woods.

"Wait! Can I ask you something?"

The inudaiyoukai surprised him by turning around and waiting.

"Hm?"

The kit was wringing his small hands and staring into the ground.

"Are you mad I'm coming, too? Next year, I mean?"

"You fear rejection from my house?" Sesshoumaru said, cutting through the useless banter.

The miko had said as much. He wondered how well she knew the emotional state of each and every being in her life. Would she claim to know him as well one day? Did he want her to?

"Not from them… fuh- from you."

Sesshoumaru's right hand found his hip and he relaxed his stance. The kit was pack, strange as it was, and the boy was confused and unsure. Posturing did nothing to help either one of them through this new and intimidating relationship. As Alpha, even the small kitsune's doubts were his responsibility now.

"You require reassurance about so many elements of your life."

Shippou straightened the collar of his happi coat and looked up into Sesshoumaru's eyes.

"Momma says I should be in touch with my emotional needs and not be afraid to ask the right questions."

"Hn. You are welcome in the West. Give it no further thought."

Sesshoumaru turned his head and Shippou panicked, voice raising louder than he meant it to.

"Yeah, but what am I supposed to _**do** _there?"

The inudaiyoukai closed his eyes for a moment, in thought, then stared down at the child and spoke with a firm and informative tenor. It so happened that he had given the young male's future some thought over this past year. A son of the West cannot be a wandering, homeless prankster for the duration of his life.

"You will study with Rin during the day, train in a martial discipline of your choice with a suitable master, and learn the management of my house and the politics of its existence so that you are able to contribute when you come of age. The miko and I spoke already of your position. I would not name you my heir but you will be expected to involve yourself fully in matters of the Land that shelters and provides for you. Does that satisfy your concern?"

"Wait, I'm a soldier now?"

"A steward. An heir to the West will arise during your lifetime. They will be taught more extensively, included in the Cardinal Council meetings and made responsible for the future, but until such a one exists, you will learn in their stead as Rin does."

"All of that?" Shippou marveled. "Just because you're marrying Kagome?"

"A Mating is a melding of two lives and two packs. It is always wise to include one's pack in the life of its Alpha. Knowledge kept hidden, stays hidden in the event of his death. Should something happen to me without a steward in place, war will swallow the land again. The position is not one of favor but of responsibility. Are you capable?"

Sesshoumaru watched the kit think hard, his shoulders slumped.

"I don't think so. I'm not good at…" Shippou sighed deeply. "…much. I'm not really steward material."

Sesshoumaru stared down at the shrinking, unsure kitsune. There was a time, long ago, when the idea of being used as an instrument was too much for a small, inu pup, as well. What the pup had truly wanted was freedom and knowledge and time. In his earliest years, a knowing father had given him both. Touga had not been a model parent but he understood the wisdom in patience and time.

What this kitsune wanted was similar but he had been denied even the basic comforts of a pack until the miko's adoption. She was doing her best but would never understand youkai in the way the Lord of the West did. The kit needed a tighter pack bond to understand and feel his place and, as his future pack leader, Kagome was right to have called him. He would be loath to admit such to her, however, in light of her manipulative methods.

"You are not. Not yet. This Sesshoumaru will begin training and assessment of your skills after the Bonding ceremony. Will that satisfy your need for knowledge and reassurance?"

"Wha- Train? Me? Yes! Yes!" Shippou jumped into the air, his tail whirling happily.

"However," Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes and Shippou stopped his celebrating to blink cautiously upward, "should the illusion of myself make its appearance ever again, I revoke this offer. Do we understand one another?"

"Completely. Never again. Cross my heart."

"Hm. Then come."

A few steps of silence and then Shippou lost the war with his baser nature.

"Can I do the General, though?" the kit asked brightly.

Sesshoumaru considered that Ryota was amiable, open, and enjoyed a good joke. He was a perfect target for a kitsune.

"When we are not entertaining." the inu conceded.

"Yes!"

…

Kagome fiddled with the end tuft of her braid as it hung below her ribs, then gave up and threaded her fingers through the whole mass to braid it again.

"Kagome-sama? Are you well?" Rin asked from beside her.

"Oh… what? Yeah. Shippou and Sesshoumaru need to talk but that doesn't mean I fully trust him not to hurt Shippou in one way or another."

"Shippou-chan is pack now and Sesshoumaru-sama would never hurt him without cause."

"That's what I'm afraid of. Shippou has more than given him cause… Do they always just stare like that?"

"Hm? Ah-Un?" the girl asked. "They are unfamiliar with you. Come and I'll officially introduce you to them." Rin dragged Kagome by the hand to the dragons' heads. "Ah, Un, this is Kagome-sama. She is very special to me and to Lord Sesshoumaru so you must be kind to her. Now, put your hands here on their muzzles. Yes, like that."

"He- Hello, Ah-Un." the miko said, cautiously stroking the scaly noses of two very curious dragons. When they pushed further into her hands, sniffing deeply at her clothes and pushing her backwards with forceful curiosity, Kagome looked around them at a giggling Rin. "Now what do I do?"

"Nothing. They should know you better now that they have your scent. Easy, Un. Kagome-sama is not used to your pushing." Rin walked over to stand beside them and laid her forehead against that of the one she called Un. "I used to talk to them while milord was away, and he was away a lot." Her deep brown eyes grew wistful. "They are very good listeners."

"Rin-chan…" Kagome smiled, then noticed the single bag perched atop the dragon's large saddle. "You sure packed lightly. Not staying with us for long?"

"The remainder of the summer, yes, but Rin knows she cannot wear the finery of the Palace in Edo. I brought only simple clothing. I would like very much to train some more with Kaede-sama this year. Kenshin-san expressed concern over his lack of knowledge about our care so I would like to help teach him."

"That's incredibly sweet, Rin. I'll help, too, once we've moved there. How is everyone?"

"Well. Kenshin-san in particular is very happy because he is planning his Bonding ceremony with Tomomi-chan for next spring and-"

"What? Sorry, Rin, but what wonderful news! Aww, she must be so happy. They're such a good match."

"Sesshoumaru-sama thought so, too. He had to give them permission."

"Tomomi told me about that. I'm so glad he did. Poor Ren. Now he'll be the lone bachelor."

"Yes. Ren-san is-" Rin cleared her throat. "He is sad sometimes but happier for his brother, I think."

"I hope so. He'll be fine. I'm sure Tomomi will win him over. What of Ryota-taishou and Kouji?"

"They are both well. Ryota-taishou is struggling to learn how 'human clans' are arranged. He cannot understand how human families determine lineage and succession. Kouji-san is busy working with the Lady mother to prepare for the council meeting this year. Everyone seems worried for some reason. Let's see… Haruto-chan is as tall as my knee now and running the halls. He learned several new words from the soldiers around the barracks and Kouji-san was less than pleased."

"Ha! I can imagine. So glad he survived the winter, though. Good for them all. Now, where are those two?"

"Milord and Shippou-chan?"

"Yeah, they've been gone a while-" Kagome walked the length of the dragon and turned around to walk back to their heads when two familiar youki signatures burst into the clearing. "Ah! There you are!"

Shippou bounded out of the woods on four paws and leapt, smiling, into her chest.

"Do you feel better?" she giggled above him.

"Yes!" he exclaimed, nuzzling under her chin, "I'm gonna train really hard!"

"Train?" Kagome leaned back and looked, startled, over at Sesshoumaru. "Wait a second-"

Shippou wriggled out of her arms, leapt up onto the dragon and waited, tail flicking happily.

"I'll tell you all about it later." he grinned proudly. "Hey, Rin!"

"Hello, Shippou! You have grown since autumn!"

"Good. I'm tired of being short." he scoffed.

Kagome listened to their banter with a smile then fixed her eyes on Sesshoumaru for answers.

Ignoring the miko's expectant look, he walked stiffly over to stand before Rin, who merely turned to the side and waited. Sesshoumaru used both large hands to lift his ward carefully onto the dragon's back, where she sat side-saddle and adjusted her kimono before smiling down at him. Shippou crawled over the girl's lap to sit in front and wiggled his rear down into the seat. The inu silently stood in front of Kagome with hard and accusing eyes.

"My turn?" she asked.

A jerk of a nod was his only response. Kagome turned to the side and waited. She felt the pressure of his hands lift her and then squeaked when they left her just before touching the saddle, landing her rear roughly and stealing her breath.

"So, it was a good talk then? Yikes…" she quipped, settling herself and frowning.

"**You** are more devious than the vixen." he glared up at Kagome, then looked at his ward. "Rin, secure the reins."

Rin nodded and whispered something to Shippou.

"What does that make you?" Kagome grinned. "More gullible than a human?"

His quick growl startled Shippou, and no one but Rin knew what was coming next. She tightened the frame of her arms around the kit and ducked her head down. Sesshoumaru slapped the dragon's flank hard enough to startle them forward with a lurch.

"**Fly!**" he bellowed.

Kagome screamed as Ah-Un took off from the ground with a mighty lurch and a burst of speed. Her swears of revenge could be heard until the dragons leveled out near the lowest tufts of cloud. The inudaiyoukai allowed himself a grin at his victory over her righteous and roguish tongue.

_'Maddening woman…'_

And he joined them in the air.

…

High above the forest, Sesshoumaru sniffed and pulsed his aura in warning. A familiar but still unidentifiable malice was sprinting behind them, moving in and out of his range of detection.

_'A taunt or a threat?'_

The late start, plus the heart-to-heart in the forest, had cost them daylight and travel time. The sun faded quickly and there were hours yet to go before Edo was within range. Rather than attempting to keep two sleeping bodies centered on the dragon, Kagome made a case for camping out tonight and getting an early start. Sesshoumaru had only nodded once before dipping down to land alone, verify the absence of any nearby threats, and find a suitable camp site for the two humans in his charge.

After they landed, Sesshoumaru helped Rin down from Ah-Un's back and stepped one step away from the dragon before growling and turning back around with a scowl to help Kagome down. The woman was already sliding down the dragon's flank as he turned around.

"Don't bother. I'm fine. Thanks anyway." she said flatly, breezing by him to get to the saddlebags still attached to Ah-Un.

Kagome pulled out her own pack, bow, and quiver then arched her back like a cat in the sun after hours of sitting still in the whipping wind. Sesshoumaru turned on his heel and walked silently to the edge of their camp while Kagome prepped a fire and unpacked sleeping blankets before the light faded completely. Once she was done, he disappeared into the woods.

Hours of silence, his shitty attitude as they had left the kitsune, and his deliberate avoidance of her was taking its toll. Hadn't they **just** sorted out how important talking was? Why was he so grumpy?

He chose that moment to return with three small rabbits, cleaned and gutted, and handed them roughly to Kagome before resuming his guard at the forest's edge without another word. His youki remained flared, raw and edgy, as if one wrong word would invite death.

_'He's still mad about Shippou? I have to fix this.'_

After dinner and a quick wash in the river, Rin and Shippou laid down and were quickly asleep after the long day. Without the excited chatter of the children, the camp was dark and quiet, enveloped in the pressing silence that was unique to the deep woods. Kagome sat up, poking the dying fire once again, and glancing over at Sesshoumaru every few minutes. She wasn't ready to sleep after Daichi's vague warning but the sulking daiyoukai to her far right was more concerning at the moment.

The inu had closed his eyes but she knew by the turbulent waves of his youki that he was most definitely not asleep… and still pissed. She broke the prodding stick in half, tossed both pieces forcefully into the fire, and marched over to confront him.

"Are you still mad about Shippou's stunt? It wasn't that bad."

He did not look up from his resting position at the base of the tree but opened his eyes to answer while gazing into the campfire.

"Using a distress call as a ploy to lure me to the glade was deceitful. I expected more mature behavior after our conversation."

"Is **that** what has your tail in a knot? As a result of _our conversation,_ Shippou felt left out and unsure of his own future. I wanted you two to talk to each other. You are the only one who could answer his questions."

Harsh golden eyes flashed with firelight as he glared up at her.

"Did it not occur to you to make a request of This Sesshoumaru instead of resulting to falsehood?"

"Would you have done it?"

Kagome crossed her arms and looked down at him seriously. Sesshoumaru chose to stare into the dying light once again as he answered.

"You will never know."

"Kami in heaven! I will never do it again, then. There? Satisfied?"

"Hardly. Honesty is paramount-"

"-paramount between Mates." she repeated slowly, then sighed and nodded her head slowly in understanding.

To him, her deception, small as it was, had been an outright lie. To her, it had been a necessary method of coercing his involvement. They were still learning the simple truths about each other and she had made an error in judgement. To Sesshoumaru, honesty was very important and she had violated it.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I promise I won't call you without cause again."

"Hm."

Not quite satisfied that she truly understood her blunder, Sesshoumaru leaned back against the tree, closed his eyes one again, and listened to the sounds of their camp and the forest. Too soon, the scents and sounds of the woman beside him stole his focus from the forest once again.

The scent of her anger began to pass and was replaced with the vinegar of her fear. No, the lemon brightness of her nerves and fear. What did that combination mean? He cracked a golden eye open and peered over at her in time to see her scuffle a toe in the grass. Her heart beat a new, irregular and faster rhythm. She looked away from him, watched the flicker of the campfire, as regret danced there with the flames in her downturned eyes. The miko felt… guilty? At last, a quiet and longing sigh came from his intended and the instinct to soothe won out over his mostly-smothered irritation.

It was easy to forget how young she truly was. The miko had been through as much war and hardship in her twenty years as he had in over three hundred. She had already lost the equivalent of a Mate. His own first conquest had taken him six hundred years to find. She possessed the innate ability to comfort and reason through any problem that presented itself. She checked and balanced the emotional states of everyone around her. It must be exhausting.

Kagome had in her arsenal the few skills that he himself lacked. The notion was oddly comforting, not that he was ready to share this revelation just yet.

Someone must have spoken with his intended about the protocols of Mating for her to be so concerned about his anger. Whoever it was, Sesshoumaru shuddered to think, would never be able to explain his ways better than he could. The daiyoukai could lend her his aged wisdom in understanding how Mated pairs were supposed to act and how their early bonds were formed… if she could sit still long enough to listen.

"My mother, in a rare moment of reflection, once said that trust is grown like a forest-"

His deep and serious tenor snagged her attention in the silence around their camp. Kagome looked over cautiously, sat up straighter to emphasize she was listening, and nervously braided her hair as he began. His eyes were locked on the few flames still leaping from the ashes but they held a look of bittersweet memory.

"-by small measures and through the slow passage of time. You cannot watch its development or measure it. In the end, it can be fruitful, vast, its roots reaching deep and spreading far. Without the proper nourishment in the beginning, fragile and weak; trust, like the potential of a forest, will wither and cease to exist." The flash of his inhuman eyes in the fading light made her heart stutter. "I do not wish that between us."

"Me either." the young woman said quietly. "No matter what we become in the end."

"Then you understand my disappointment."

"I think I do. Trust is very important to you."

"It is important in all connections but between us, yes, I value it highly. No other being on this plane will know the details of our house as you will, no one will know the intimacies of my life, and the development of my character. I regret now that you may also use those things against me."

"You think because I used my reiki to get your attention, I'd abuse your memories? That's a huge leap."

"Is it?"

"Yes! I wanted you to talk to Shippou, so I called you in a way I knew you'd respond to. To assume I'd do anything so underhanded as use the tragedies of your past to piss you off is a major reach. Let me clarify: No, I would never do something so wrong."

They were silent for a moment but Sesshoumaru heard the intake of breath before she spoke.

"Maybe I was testing you, though."

"Testing This One's ability to parent your kit?"

"Maybe?"

"Hn. Find other, less dishonest ways to test This One's fitness, if that is what you wish."

"Your fitness? Gods, no." Kagome held up a hand. "Oh, wait. You mean your male fitness, right? Not your physical fitness. Chinatsu was right, then."

"Your vixen has much to answer for, it seems." he said, laying his head back against the tree and closing his eyes.

"Don't blame Chi-chan. I asked. Mostly. There's a lot I don't know about… your… relationship needs. In case you've forgotten, Inuyasha wasn't-" she swallowed, guilt and sadness blocked the words.

One amber eye cracked open. "Was not raised youkai."

"Yeah." Kagome whispered. "Humans don't do things the way you do, and he was more human than youkai most of the time. It wasn't easy at first but we were open about everything."

That got his attention. Sesshoumaru lifted his head from the tree and watched her grow pensive and smile warmly at the ground.

"You found my brother's company so alike to your own kind?" he asked, genuinely curious to know more.

"Mmm. I'm not trying to compare you, so you understand. I just want you to know that I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to youkai customs. Well, most of them. I want us to understand each other and I don't want you to misunderstand me just for being me. For being human."

The tidbits she _did_ know about how inu behaved would stay secrets for now. That intimate level of comfortability with Sesshoumaru was far into the future. Inuyasha had known very little but they had worked through the embarrassment of his instinctual needs together and had grown closer for it. Sesshoumaru surprised her again today with his next admission.

"The same could be said of myself. You clearly expect similar behavior to what is expected of a Mate, but yet, the human way is still inherently different it seems."

"We already agreed there was a lot to learn about each other. This is a first step to that."

"What step?"

Kagome grinned mischievously over at him.

"Admitting you're not perfect either."

He scoffed loudly.

"Hardly. You are confusing your human perception with reality. If you knew the allow-"

A sound in the forest caught his attention, abrupt and new. He rose in the span of a blink and stood protectively between Kagome and the shadows of the trees. The miko stood behind him, minimizing her breathing and her movements.

"What is it?" she whispered.

The voice that returned with an answer was hard, devoid of warmth, and reminiscent of the past.

"Stay here with the pups."

"Where are **you** going?" she whispered more forcefully, grasping the back of his haori.

Golden eyes flashed with the firelight over his right shoulder as he turned to assess her. Her wide eyed, panicked gaze surprised him. Was he so untrustworthy? Had he not proven his commitment to her safety? Perhaps the woman was still uncertain of his ability. Her breathing quickened; some invented terror played in her mind, he guessed. The inu grew more concerned as the foreign presence with no discernable scent continued to plow noisily through the forest nearby and his patience grew thin.

"Do you trust This Sesshoumaru?" he asked quietly.

Trust was important to him. They had just covered that. But did she? His strength, his wisdom… yes, she did. But deep in the woods in the middle of the night? Leaving her alone with the children to search the forest for some threat she hadn't even heard? Was this the first step on the path to change or was her death becoming more certain? There hadn't been time to discuss the details of the next two years but the future version of Sesshoumaru **had** said that nothing needed to change until the Bonding ceremony.

The needling anxiety of her aura worried him further. She was losing control of her fear as it consumed and dominated her scent. Fear? What had she to be so afraid of? The miko had faced greater threats than this mysterious stalker. The small hand holding a fistful of his haori tightened and the fabric twisted in her grip. She was holding him here? Afraid of him leaving, or afraid of being left?

"I will return, Kagome."

She barely breathed out the words, the sounds stolen by the dryness of her mouth.

"You don't know that. We're out here alone. I have no idea what's out there, do you?"

"Trust me." he tried lowly.

"I want to. I really do."

"I _will_ return." he said more firmly.

The grip lessened on his coat and before she could wish him well, he disappeared into the trees, leaving only a swirl of youki in his wake and a stone in the pit of her stomach. Kagome turned around to see the children shuffling in their sleep.

_'He'll come back.'_ she told herself, watching Rin and Shippou settle back down. _'He'll definitely come back.'_

…

The stalker was quick. There was no scent to follow as the chase began. Farther and farther from the campsite, he raced in the night.

Minutes later, the land began rise to the west and the scentless being with it. Trees passed by in a blur and still the stranger eluded him. Sesshoumaru had sprinted across the forest floor first but then rose above the trees for more speed, pushing his pace nearly to its limit and gaining no ground until the hills grew steep.

The scent of the rock was becoming familiar. He was nearly home. Much farther and the forests would give way to the grassy plains of the foothills in the West. His quarry slowed on the steeper hills but Sesshoumaru had scaled this terrain his entire life. The stalker's first mistake.

As the distance closed, Sesshoumaru recognized the same chimeric aura of the kitsune from the village that had paced the edges of the barrier like a caged animal. It was not fully kitsune, however. The first scents that were not forest or beast reached his nose. Kitsune, yes, but what else? Steel and leather coated in blood and sweat. The scents of a warrior. There was something else. The scent of a human? No human could run so fast. What was this strange being?

To draw out the aura of the stranger, Sesshoumaru flared his youki in a wide sphere and a roar, forcing a reaction from his quarry. Instead of energy, the sting of a misted poison he was unfamiliar with filled his nose and the inu grimaced as the burning smell became the lone decipherable scent he could track.

Suddenly, the being slowed and skidded to a halt to face him down from the other side of a wide river sunk deep into the bedrock of the mountains of his homeland.

"You give chase like the dog you are, Sesshoumaru of the West!" the lively male voice teased. "So very fast and far from your pack though. How will they fare with my brother, I wonder? Was the priestess as willing to follow a phantom into the woods? How far apart you are now from your sweet human…" The rogue clicked his tongue in mock disapproval. "Perhaps we were wrong to prepare so much for so simple a task as ending her pitiful life."

The inudaiyoukai leapt across the chasm faster than the stranger was prepared for and found himself pinned to the bedrock before taking a celebratory breath. The red, vengeful eyes of the last inudaiyoukai of the West bore down on the grinning face of the assassin, accompanied a rock-shaking and inhuman snarl.

_**"I warned your sire to keep you. He failed in his task just as you have and This Sesshoumaru will inform him personally of your demise."**_

"You know nothing, pup, and your ignorance will be your undoing!" he spat from beneath the acrid, weeping claws of the inu, "You will die! Before we are through, you will all d- _Hlech!_"

With another vicious snarl, the throat that mocked him was wholly ripped from the killer's body and tossed unceremoniously into the river. The same sour poison instantly began to fill the gaping and gruesome wound while Sesshoumaru watched his victim sputter his last fearful breaths. Within a minute the assassin was twitching in death from the potency of whatever had erupted in his blood. The human-kitsune burned from the inside out while the last of his blood stained the tan rock that made his deathbed.

…

Before Kagome could take another breath, a faint rustling began just beyond the trees on the eastern edge of their camp. She stood and went to inspect the tree line as well as her human eyes could in the night.

"Sesshoumaru?" she whispered into the trees. "Is that you?"

The voice that answered was familiar but undefinable, like a memory of a dream.

"Your lover is dying alone, alas." the male voice taunted. "My, my but he was a disappointing kill… All bark and no bite, it seems. I had thought he might be more sport than my usual targets." A mocking sigh echoed across the short distance between them. "Ah well, it was fun while it lasted."

Her power coated her body like a second skin within a second and she looked around quietly for her bow and quiver. Hanging on the tree on the far side. Damn.

"Only cowards hide in the shadows." she taunted. "Come out and face me!"

"Shall we play a game instead, little priestess?" A flash of steel reflecting the firelight made her breath catch. "If you land a blow, I'll tell you where he lies. Think carefully. He'll breathe his last soon enough." the voice mocked from the shadows as the crunching sounds of footsteps faded. "Do you have the time to stand there so useless while the last great silver inu dies alone in the dark?"

"No… It's not true." Kagome whispered, standing her ground. "It's not true."

_'But what if it is?'_ her brain countered.

"You have seconds to decide whether to face me, woman. My patience has limits."

"Go fuck yourself. I'm staying right here!"

"Have it your way!" the stranger growled, and then there was silence.

Kagome stood at the edge of the camp, thinking hard.

_'Was this how it started? Did the tragedies the future Shippou and Sesshoumaru spoke of start tonight? Have I already failed him? He can't- He can't be dead!'_

But doubt gnawed at her gut and grew as she paced until Kagome nearly felt sick with fear and worry. So much was at stake if she made a mistake now.

_'I need to find him. I find him and then I'll know one way or the other. The children…'_

Kagome sprinted to the tree where her bow and quiver hung, slinging both onto her back. Pulling a single arrow from the quiver, she closed her eyes and imbued the rune carved into the tip with all of the energy it would hold. She held her hands together in prayer, eyes closed in a plea for help.

"Protect them." she prayed, then stabbed the arrow into the ground just above their heads.

The glowing blue reiki burst forth from the arrow, lifting the stray hairs around her face, and manifested in a half-sphere around the sleeping Rin and Shippou. Shippou stirred but only rolled closer to Rin and shuffled his blanket, still asleep.

Ah-Un lifted their massive heads and stared at her with four, glittering pale green eyes.

"You, too. Protect them." Kagome commanded. "I'm skirting camp to find Sesshoumaru. Stay here and... roar if anything happens."

The dragons blinked once and then twice, then laid their heads down in the grass once more but kept all four eyes trained on Rin.

"Thanks."

Kagome pulled her bow free and stepped into the woods with an arrow loosely nocked.

_'Sesshoumaru, you'd better come back…'_

…

Sesshoumaru stood, flicked the blood from his claws, then raised his nose as a breeze rolled over the river from the forest. No other youkai nearby. He listened. No sounds like footfalls or the ring of steel or panting breaths. He was alone.

But so was Kagome.

The strange, unidentifiable energy that coated the killer dissolved and melted away leaving only the rotting body of a… human male? Another scent rolled off the corpse. Fox? Sesshoumaru searched the armor and found a talisman made from the crystallized eye of a kitsune. It crumbled to dust as he inspected it. An illusionary decoy of human flesh?

It was a trick?

_'No!'_ Golden eyes widened and silver hair whipped behind him as Sesshoumaru took off back to the campsite._ 'A distraction!'_

He took off again, away from the body and back to his charges and the woman. The corpse-assassin had been fast but clumsy.

_'Fool! I should have known.'_

Only a killer with a death wish would have baited him into his own territory.

The claim of a second sent to murder his intended was most likely truthful. Still, the miko was an accomplished warrior in her own right, and her reiki was well recovered.

She was strong enough but inexperienced. The assassin that infiltrated his den had been clever enough to bypass every guard and nearly slaughter her and his chief healer. If the true mission was to kill them all, it would be a simple matter to start with the children while the miko was distracted. Sesshoumaru pushed his speed to its limit, rocketing through the air and back to his pack.

Surely, she was not so foolhardy as to leave the camp and their charges unprotected?

…

_'Where are you, dammit?'_ Kagome thought, shoving another low branch from her path.

It was already too dark for her to see even just these several yards into the wood. A deep breath echoed in the dark and the miko closed her eyes and released the lung full of air and a wide cascade of reiki, casting a shockwave of her energy along the forest floor. No youkai nearby. The man, or youkai, that had threatened her with Sesshoumaru's death was long gone.

Sesshoumaru wasn't nearby either. Her gut told her he wasn't dead; that the words were a hollow threat meant to goad her into rash action.

_'Be patient. It's been maybe half an hour since he left.'_

With a deep sigh, Kagome turned around to head back to camp, feeling useless and worried. She reached out with her reiki for the children and their guardian dragons, expecting everyone to still be sleeping in the camp, but instead found a fourth, barely detectable presence hovering near the children… that wasn't Sesshoumaru.

"Son of a bitch!"

The sprint back to camp felt like it took ages; even the cooler night air burned in her lungs. A weak garble made by the dragons rang out and Kagome broke through the tree line just as Rin screamed.

_'Oh, please, no!'_

Shippou stood in a panic, disoriented by the scream and looked around for his mother, but instead found an unfamiliar male standing over him with a knowing, unsettling smile and a low chuckle. The killer was clad in a violet haori and black hakama with short cropped black hair and wicked, glaring crimson eyes. The startling awake and instant fear of being caught unaware caused the kit to freeze after standing protectively in front of Rin. His tail tucked beneath him and wide emerald eyes stared unblinking at the face twisted with malice above them.

Kagome's eyes were blinded by the firelight but before they fully adjusted, the miko nocked an arrow and let it fly just as the assassin raised a vicious, jagged blade over the shield protecting the children. He was too busy staring at the fearful look on the kitsune's face to notice her and the sacred arrow ploughed by his right cheek, cutting it deeply but missing the mark.

"Don't you dare touch them!" Kagome bellowed.

The arrow distracted him from the children but the blade in his right hand dropped onto the barrier as he raised the other to palm the blood running down his face. Her reiki barrier reacted to the youki-charged sword, scattering jolts of energy where youki and reiki collided. The contact wore the barrier down and it melted away, leaving the children exposed.

"**Human bitch!**" he roared, raising the weapon again and charging her.

Ten orbs of reiki appeared around Kagome and pelted the youkai assassin, one by one, as he ran across the camp while she built a larger one close to her chest.

"Annoying mortal, you should have stayed away!"

"You will **not** hurt them! _Hyah!_"

The last three orbs collided with his chest, sending him off balance, and Kagome loosed the massive sphere at her breast. It careened across the grass, slammed into the assassin and blasted him, sword and all, into the woods beyond. Kagome picked up her bow and nocked an arrow, charging across the camp to stand near the children and finish the job.

"Are you two okay?"

"Uh huh." "Yes, Kagome-sama."

"Good. Stay here. Shippou, get ready."

Two flames burst to life in his hands and he stood next to her in front of Rin.

"Bastard got the jump on me." the kit growled.

"Language! Stay here. Stay alert."

Shippou nodded resolutely and watched as Kagome crept closer to the tree line.

_'Where did you go? That blow shouldn't have killed him…'_

Suddenly a flash of silver glittered in the dark. Kagome pulled the arrow back and fired. No sounds of pain, no explosion of purification, but a dark shape shot upward and took a hard turn to the north, disappearing against the darkness of the sky.

"Fine by me! Run away with your tail between your legs, you coward!" Kagome turned around to Rin and Shippou and settled her bow across the quiver. "No one's going back to sleep for a while so let's get comfy, shall we?"

A deep breath and a moment of focus, and suddenly there was a icy blue barrier surrounding the small clearing.

"There. Now we can breathe at least." Kagome surveyed the camp in a slow circle. Nothing had been disturbed but the dirt as the killer was pushed back. Ah-Un was still laying peacefully at the eastern edge of camp. "How in the world were these dragons sleeping through all of that?"

Kagome walked over the Ah-Un and squatted down near their heads.

"Hey." she said forcefully, poking their muzzle with a finger. "Come on, lazy bones. It's time to wake up. Hmm…"

"They do not usually sleep so deeply. Ah-Un?" Rin tried, joining Kagome near their heads with concern in her eyes.

When the dragons didn't move after a few more less-than-gentle shoves, Kagome laid her hands on their shoulder and reached out with her aura instead. Their breathing was rapid and shallow, and Kagome found an evil ichor clinging to their nostrils that seemed to be the culprit.

"Poisoned? Okay, then. Hold on, big guys."

Her power had barely diffused into their skin to begin the healing process when their clawed feet dug into the ground and they roared as if in pain without lifting their heads. Rin screamed and leapt back. A claw caught Kagome's ribs, tearing the white haori and leaving a deep scratch that quickly began to ooze blood. The flailing limb sent her tumbling backward to land on her rear with a shout and the break in focus caused the barrier to melt away.

"Ouch! I'm sorry! What did I do?" she cried, clamping her hands over the fresh wound.

…

The intense flare of reiki caused Sesshoumaru's chest to tighten. They were under attack! The sounds of branches breaking, swearing, and a bowstring twang! had his fangs lengthening and youki breaking free of his control. The need to get to his pack and protect them was winning over his logic.

Another burst of reiki, larger and more powerful, rocketed from the camp.

_**'The power our Mate wields…'**_ he marveled, comforted and calmed only slightly by the sounds of her strong voice on the wind.

Suddenly a shadow burst upward from the trees, and the scent of singed flesh and kitsune filled his nose. Sesshoumaru turned in the air to pursue when a dragon's roar and the scent of the miko's blood drew his attention. It grew stronger as a second passed and then another.

A decision had to be made: pursue the killer or the safety of his pack?

…

"Hold still, Kagome-sama. I'll get a rag."

"No, it's fine. I need to put the barrier back up in case our guest comes back."

When she repositioned to stand, the wound split further and she gasped and fell back to her rear on the ground.

"On second thought, I'll take that rag and a few minutes."

"Hai, Kagome-sama!"

Shippou was already elbows deep in her backpack for a towel when Sesshoumaru burst into the camp in a frenzy of bared fangs, claws dripping and lit with the pale green of his venom, and a snarl of warning for whoever had drawn her blood. His wrath died with each breath as his golden eyes took in the still camp and instead the safety and health of his small, odd pack. The bleeding miko, notwithstanding.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin called from the ground in front of Ah-Un, relieved to see him okay after the eventful night.

He was to her in an instant, offering a hand to lift his ward from the dirt. Rin stood and lifted her chin but did not otherwise move. Kagome watched, fascinated, as Sesshoumaru bent his head down to touch his cheek to the top of her head, inhaling deeply, assuring himself of her presence and well-being.

"I am well, milord." she comforted.

"The kit is unharmed?" the inu asked with a growl, peering around Rin to see Shippou blinking over at him from near the campfire.

"Yeah… _uh-_ yes, I'm fine, too." Shippou answered, surprised at being addressed.

Sesshoumaru nodded and left the children to walk over to Kagome, his eyes hard.

"You are bleeding. Why?"

A black boot stepped closer. His eyes never left her face and Kagome swallowed. He was staring down at her like a disappointed parent. Kagome checked the periphery for an escape route but he was already bearing down on her.

Step.

She tried to stand but the pain won again and she landed on her rear with a yelp.

"Ah, dammit!"

Step.

Blinking up, Kagome watched his golden eyes dance with the firelight and… concern? A clawed hand was extended to her and she slid her smaller hand in his, gripping his wrist and groaning as the fresh wound stretched and separated when she stood. Standing in front of him, with barely a foot between them, Sesshoumaru lowered his head to hers, inhaling near her temple and pressing his nose against the sensitive, naked skin.

"Ah- Hey, wait a second!" Both of her hands pressed against his chest but he remained close through her half-hearted protest. "It was Ah-Un." she said quietly. "I tried to heal them but- but got clawed instead." She gestured to the weeping gash at her side but he couldn't have seen with his face so close to hers. "What are you doing?"

"Be still." he said, just above her right ear. "Heal them?"

"Yeah. I think they've been poisoned. Shallow breathing. Lethargy. What **are** you doing?" she tried again.

"You carry faint traces of another scent. Who?" he commanded.

His face dipped lower and the cool tip of his nose grazed the side of her throat.

"I don't-" The miko swallowed and cleared her throat. "I don't know who it was but…"

Kagome recounted the whole event while Sesshoumaru pressed his nose first on her right side, then repeated the gesture on her left. She told him quietly about the taunting, the odd curved sword, and the threats of his death as her heartrate steadily decreased and her brain grew fuzzy with relief as his youki surrounded her in safety and reassurance. After standing to his full height, she noted that his youki had settled back into the familiar rolling waves that meant he was content.

_'Did he do all of that… touching just to calm himself or me?'_

"It seemed like he wanted me to follow him into the woods." she continued. "He seemed off, somehow. I couldn't detect any youki from him, or very little anyway, and then he showed back up here at camp, trying to attack the children for some reason."

"The assassin is the reason Ah-Un is poisoned?"

"I think so, yes."

"Be still. One moment."

He walked around the groaning heads of the dragons and cupped his hand beneath a small vial produced from his sleeve. The daiyoukai growled lowly and offered the contents of the vial to each one before rising and walking back to Kagome. Without a word, he lifted her feet from the ground and she hissed as the wound stretched beneath her clothing. Sesshoumaru laid her down gently on the pile of the children's blankets.

"Are your supplies sufficient to tend your wound?" Kagome nodded and took the worn backpack from his hand with her thanks. "How did the assassin circumvent you to harm Ah-Un?"

"I was actually a short distance into the woods, looking for you **and** the killer, and he circled back around ahead of me. I guess that's when he got to the dragons."

"You left the pups unguarded?"

"No, Ah-Un was here, and not poisoned at the time, and I left a barrier around the children."

His voice and amber eyes hardened. "You disobeyed my simple command to stay here and wait."

"Excuse me?" Kagome sat up straighter. "Disobeyed you? I'm not a soldier you can bark at to sit and stay, Sesshoumaru. I'm a person and I made a decision."

"Kagome-sama-" Rin started from behind her Lord, sounding concerned.

"If you had obeyed," the inu continued with narrowed eyes, "no danger would have befallen you or the children."

"I thought you might be bleeding out somewhere in the woods! I was looking for **you**! If you had stayed here with us, I wouldn't have had to go looking."

"You blame my absence for your carelessness?"

"I blame your absence for our attack, yes. If you hadn't left, I'm pretty sure we could've gotten rid of both them _together_."

Sesshoumaru opened his mouth to say something else but Kagome cut him off.

"You left us here to play hero alone. You wanna guarantee our health and safety? Stay next time."

"You do not command This Sesshoumaru."

"But you can command me? Seems a little contrary, don't you think?"

"A Mate should submit and do as I ask, you stubborn woman."

Kagome stood in spite of the pain and faced him with a glare of her own, nearly yelling over his angry growling.

"I'm not your Mate yet and this will never work if we don't work as a team, you grumpy, overbearing… _ugh,_ **dog**!"

The yelling and posturing took their toll and Kagome doubled over and hissed over new pain flaring in the angry gouge in her side. She pressed her hands hard against the wound, walked over to grab a rag from her bag, and stomped off into the woods. Shippou ran after her a second later and the whole camp was quiet but for the whining of the recovering dragons.

…

A little farther into the trees, Kagome was trudging through the trees, swearing.

"Maddening… self-important… who the **hell** he thinks he is…"

The miko grumbled all the way to the small stream where they'd gathered water this evening and began peeling her torn haori away with another sharp inhale.

"Let me help, Momma." the kit said, grabbing the collar and helping her disrobe.

"Thanks. Mmm… It's deeper than I thought."

"It was a dragon claw. What did you expect?" Shippou said wetting the rag. "Can you heal it?"

"No, I'm too mad to focus. We'll be home tomorrow and I'll heal it then. Would you go back to camp and grab my med kit from the bag? I'll just stitch it up for now since we're flying again in the morning."

"'Kay. Stay right here."

Kagome nodded and continued cleaning the blood away from her lower ribs before moving on to her clothing. A minute later, Shippou was talking to someone over a foxfire torch as he made it back to the stream.

"… you can try if you really want to. Kagome's got lots of experience sewing us all back up, though."

"Kagome-sama?" came the gentle voice of Rin.

"Rin?" The miko saw the young woman push the brush aside to get to the stream, holding her med kit and looking concerned. "What are you doing here? You can go back to sleep now. Sesshoumaru's here and I'll be going to sleep, too, as soon as I get this cleaned up."

"She came to help you stitch it up. Something about learning from Kenshin." the kit shrugged.

"Oh, have you, Rin? The cut's in an awkward place so if you feel like you can do it, I'll let you."

Rin nodded resolutely, determined to be as useful as everyone else today, and laid out the supplies.

"Shippou, clean that for me, would you?" Kagome gestured to the needle.

He grabbed it and sterilized it with his small flame. Rin watched with fascination as he prepped everything before handing the needle carefully back to Rin. Kagome pulled the rag away and Rin went to work. A few stitches in, now that the excitement had died down and the stream was burbling a lullaby, Shippou yawned widely and wavered on his feet.

"Got to bed, Ship." Kagome said between drags of the needle. "We won't be long. Ouch! Faster is not better, Rin-chan. Slow down and make sure you get the best angle before- Ah. Mm hmm. Better."

"'Kay, Kagome. G'night." Shippou mumbled and patted her knee.

"Night, Ship."

Tiny footfalls faded and when Kagome felt Shippou's aura close in on Sesshoumaru's prickly one, she relaxed. He was safe there.

"Kagome-sama?"

"Hmm? Oh, right. Now, what is it you really came out here to do?" the miko grumbled.

Mahogany eyes flicked up to Kagome's cerulean with a tint of nervousness. Kagome was earnest and open but this would mark the first time Rin confronted her and the younger girl was nervous.

"You must not be so hard on milord."

"Hard on him? He's the one- _Hn!_"

Rin ignored her as another poke of the needle closer to the bone stole Kagome's breath.

"Lord Sesshoumaru has been alone for a long time. Longer than any of us have been alive. He is used to doing things his own way. When Rin was little, he did as he pleased and I was happy just to follow him anywhere. As I grew, he noticed that I was sad when he left, that Rin felt alone when he was gone for a long time. Now, he comes to see me, he takes me places, and he asks me things."

"… Old dogs and new tricks, huh?"

"Pardon?"

"Nothing. A bad joke. Go on."

Rin continued, confused but undeterred.

"It took time for Lord Sesshoumaru to remember how to be part of a pack again. You must try to understand him and give him time to adjust to being with new people. It hurts Rin to hear you fight when you both want the same thing."

"And what is that?"

"A pack. A family. Rin wants- I want you to be part of our family, Kagome-sama, and Sesshoumaru-sama does, too," Kagome shot her a skeptical look, "in his own way. He would not have offered to bring you back or to stay with us in the village if we were only an obligation."

"You're right, I suppose. I love you and Shippou, and I'm trying to understand Sesshoumaru but he doesn't make it easy. So self-righteous all the time… Tie that closer to the- Yes. Good job."

Rin tied and clipped the last stitch, wiped and tucked the tools away, then sat down close to Kagome while the miko washed the remaining blood from the wound.

"Lord Sesshoumaru is Alpha, Kagome-sama. It is his way and his right."

"He's trained you well, I suppose," Kagome mused, tucking one arm in the ripped haori, "but I'm not okay with being dominated."

"I am not trained," Rin said indignantly. "Rin wants milord to be her Alpha. He is kind and thoughtful, strong and brave, and he cares about Rin's health and happiness. I trust him to make decisions about my safety for me and he lets me make those decisions about my life which I care about."

"Where I come from, women are free to do and be what they want, more or less. I was raised to be independent; to live for and take care of myself."

"That sounds lonely, Kagome-sama. Does he know this about you?" Rin asked, and Kagome shook her head. "Milord would not wish to take your freedom from you but he does wish to keep you safe even if you do not like the way he says things. You should not yell at him so."

"You're probably right. Thank you, Rin. For both your advice and your help. You did a good job. I'll start your training when we get back to Edo. We have a new priestess to break in this summer sometime so you can learn together."

The serious look in the younger girl's eyes told Kagome the discussion was not yet over.

"You should apologize to him."

"Probably, but I'm too peeved and tired to force it out tonight. His highness will just have to wait."

Kagome tucked the med kit back together and rose with a groan, feeling the tightly sewn flesh shift uncomfortably.

"Do you love him?" Rin asked. "Is that why you challenge him? Kouji-san told me that sometimes the more you love someone, the harder it is to let them make their own mistakes."

"No, I don't but I do want him to live and be happy," Kagome sighed, "just as I want for you and Shippou. That's why his bone-headed nature is so frustrating."

"You are very much alike." Rin grinned.

"Excuse me?"

In all the time they had known each other, Rin had never said anything so brazen. Her grin widened.

"You and my Lord are very much alike. Rin is satisfied."

The walk back to camp was short and silent as the miko considered Rin's advice. Kagome settled Rin in for the night, tucked Shippou in again now that his snoring sprawl had disheveled his blanket, and then laid down herself with a heavy and tumultuous heart.

Sesshoumaru watched her care for the pups first, then ready herself, all without regard for him. He leaned against Ah-Un and gazed upward at the clouded sky.

_'Her instincts to care for the pups is intact but no others? Her safety, submission, and sense of priority are all skewed. No true intended Mate would leave such a breach for the morning. Perhaps, humans and youkai are too fundamentally different to truly understand one another.'_

Kagome looked in his direction from her place on the ground, beside the children, and blinked once and then again. She took out a pale, golden ribbon and quickly braided her hair before tying a neat bow. With another cautious look in his direction, she captured his amber eyes and swallowed nervously. He watched with growing astonishment as the miko tossed the thick braided mass behind her and tipped her head just slightly to the side, baring her pale throat and looking at the ground.

He forgot to breathe. The urge to claim her innocent apology with his fangs was powerful and the muscles in his legs tensed and prepared to spring. It had been so long…

"Goodnight, Sesshoumaru." she said quietly.

No, his intended was not inviting his affection but innocently apologizing. The effect was complete and his ire faded completely. This bold, obstinate, powerful woman could swallow her pride and show vulnerability, and he could accept it.

"Goodnight, Kagome. Now, sleep. I will keep watch."

It was a test. A simpler command to test the truth of her compunction. To his surprise, her anger did not spike but she nodded as a wide yawn overtook her, laid down with a sigh, and was asleep within a minute.

_'Or perhaps not.'_ he mused.

…

The remainder of the trip back to Edo was short and quiet. Shippou tried to make conversation with Rin several times but the wind stole most of his words and her human ears had trouble hearing anything but the rushing wind. Eventually, they both gave up and simply watched the land pass by, settling for pointing and gesturing to pass the time. After a few hours, Shippou stood up in the saddle in front of Rin, shouting and pointing as he caught sight of the first familiar farms surrounding Edo.

_'Thank the kami.'_ Kagome sighed. _'Something familiar and predictable.'_

She glanced over at Sesshoumaru. He was flying beside them but a fair distance away to give either the dragon or the miko plenty of space, she couldn't decide which. They hadn't spoken while camp was broken and cleaned up, but he had hunted for them and lifted the bulk of their supplies onto Ah-Un without provocation. His youki was settled but not without the occasional spike of… some emotion or another.

Amber met sky blue as he cocked his head, silver hair and voluminous pelt whipping behind him, and stared right back at her.

_'Caught!'_ she panicked, cheeks warming and jerking her head forward again.

Before she could embarrass herself further, Sesshoumaru dipped below them and Ah-Un followed and began to descend. In a few more minutes, the dragon landed with a jarring and galloping run, slowed to a walk, and sauntered along the grassy hills until they were at the village borders.

Kagome sighed as she took in the split rail fencing and uneven furrows. The rice fields were full of strong, tall plants that were nearly ready for harvest.

Summer this time last year meant getting ready for a wedding and finishing the last few minor jobs on their new home as she prepared to start a new life. Autumn, the anniversary of Inuyasha's death, was fast approaching and the next year, autumn would mean the start of a new life all over again. A new life far away from this familiar and comfortable place.

Next, her eyes locked on the shabby and weather-worn Bone Eater's Well. The well sat alone on the hill, far away from the fields and the village. The miko found her gaze drawn to it, wondering how Sesshoumaru would handle the truth. She reached out with her power and found the well dormant and unstirred.

_'That complicates things a little.'_

Sesshoumaru plucked Rin from the dragon's back and watched the kit hop down to join his mother, who was lost in thought and staring into the forest beyond the well. Rin hugged Sesshoumaru, he reminded her to stay within the village and he would join her for dinner, and she began to walk slowly down the hill with a smile.

"Kagome?" Shippou called up to her. "You okay?"

"Shippou, I need you go to Kaede's ahead of me. I have to talk to Sesshoumaru."

The kit leapt onto her shoulder and whispered as quietly as he could.

"Kagome, I know you said you needed to tell him the truth but does he really need to know?"

"Yes." Kagome said seriously. "Don't worry. I'll be fine. It has to be done and I'm tired of hiding the truth. Maybe we'll understand each other better after I ruin his perception of reality."

"If you say so…" he said skeptically. "I'll wait at Miroku's house, though. Kaede's smells funny and the kids are way more fun."

"Mmm. Tell Miroku and Sango I'll be there in a bit to catch up."

"'Kay."

He nuzzled her cheek once, gave an awkward and unsure nod of his head in Sesshoumaru's direction, and bounded off to chase after Rin.

Sesshoumaru removed the dragon's saddle and jerked his head to dismiss them to hunt. Ah-Un swished their huge tail and galloped into the forest on the southern side of the hill. All the while, the miko stood and gazed fixedly into the woods while her scent swirled with nerves and uncertainty.

Kagome had thought of a myriad of ways to approach the subject of her origin but each one sounded less like a winner than the last. Taking him down the well? Nope. It wouldn't let him through, he'd scoff and she'd end up telling him everything to prove him wrong. Start with her family history and how different modern life was in Tokyo? Nah. He had no frame of reference and she'd sound even nuttier talking about cars and convenience stores. Just blurt it out and wait? He'd scowl and demand an explanation at best; or disappear and write her off as insane at worst. Standing here wasn't getting anything done. If she went all the way back to the beginning…

_'Yes! Start at the beginning of the whole crazy tale and go from there. First, I need to deal with that agitated youki of his.'_

Sesshoumaru watched her reach up, lift the dark mass of her plait, and free it. Gentle waves of ebony rolled against each other as she shook her head. Tucking the ribbon away, she swallowed and faced him, holding out an open hand.

"I promised I'd tell you the truth when we got back and I would like to before I lose the nerve. Come with me into the woods?" Kagome said, staring into his eyes with a knowing sadness. "There's someplace I want to show you."

"Very well."

Her request was not a surprise after their discussion at the kitsune village but the sadness growing in her aura was confusing. Was the forest a place of tragedy for her? More than that, her extended hand was unexpected. She had never initiated intimacy with him before. Did she need the reassurance of touch to explain her past?

"It's just a hand but you don't have to if you don't want to."

"You have never requested my touch. Why now?"

"This won't be easy for me to explain and maybe- maybe I need to know you care enough to really listen."

"Care for what?"

"Never mind." she sighed. "Come on."

"Wait."

The inu stepped forward, skeptical amber meeting saddening ocean blue, and slipped his right hand into her offered left. A warm and gentle smile lit her face and he found himself grateful for the contact. Either she knew he had been warring with himself for the majority of the day over their most recent conflict; or for the first time, they had needed the exact same thing.

Her small hand was warm, calloused, and slightly damp from nerves. Not that he minded. His was cool and much larger, and she stared down at their clasped hands with wonder and a fleeting sadness. Her aura settled around her in great waves and he freed his own in a show of trust and interest.

"Thank you." she said quietly.

He wondered why her thanks sounded almost like an apology but before he could ask, she had turned around and taken off at a brisk pace for the woods. Before the miko and daiyoukai had made the edge of the woods, they had matched stride in peaceful silence. Beyond the sounds of their steps, the land was quiet and peaceful except for the thrumming of cicadas and chirps of woodland songbirds. Several yards in and covered by the shadows of taller trees, her voice broke through the silence as she continued to walk.

"Sesshoumaru? Do you remember when I said I wanted to tell you the truth about where I came from?"

"Hm."

"Actually, it's not 'where' I'm from but 'when.'"

"Pardon?"

Her heart sped up and he heard her take a deep breath over his right shoulder.

"My family-" She stopped walking, faced the valley, and pointed at the hill overlooking the village with her free, right arm. "-lives right there on the same shrine you see now." He felt her stare at the side of his face. "Five centuries exactly into the future. It will be built up over the coming centuries but it's the same land. That's _where_ I come from."

"You are not making sense."

"I'm not from the Warring States era, as this period of our history comes to be called, but I'm from modern Tokyo five hundred years into the future. That's _when_."

His eyes found hers and narrowed as he released her hand. She let him without protest but held his gaze.

"You have been angry for the greater part of the day but that is hardly an excuse for luring me into the woods to satisfy your need for levity."

"I'm not joking and I'm not lying. Use your nose."

He inhaled the air between them without breaking eye contact. The saccharine sweetness that had accompanied her few clumsy lies was not present. Then… she was telling the truth? One of her dark eyebrows raised in victory and his frown deepened.

"Explain."

"On my fifteenth birthday, my cat wandered into the well house that surrounds the Bone Eater's Well in my time. A demon sensed the Shikon no Tama that slept within my body, slipped through the well," Kagome parted the gaping hole in the already torn haori to show him the wide, pink scar beneath the bandage, "and slashed me to steal it. The jewel was brought here, to this time, by me. It was my responsibility from the second I was born and when she cut it from me, I freed Inuyasha from his seal to kill her and take it back. The rest, you pretty much know."

"You claim to be from this pitiful village, five centuries beyond this moment?"

"Yes, and the world I come from is so different. We speak differently, act differently, and dress _very_ differently. That's why I've always been 'strange' to everyone we came across. I **am** a stranger but not because I'm from a small, remote village somewhere else but because I'm from the future."

His brain whirled but, in a split second, settled on clarifying one fact at a time.

"You are a priestess, are you not?"

"I have the reiki of a priestess, and I lived on my family's shrine, but I was not raised to be a miko like Kaede. I was raised like any regular girl; like Rin. I went to public school, I had friends and an annoying little brother, I studied for tests and played sports, but one day, all of that seemed so much less important than saving everyone I knew here from certain death at the hands of Naraku."

Her resolve was noble and commendable but it could not be true. He had been to other dimensions, other planes of existence, but they existed in the same timelines. To suggest such a thing was possible seemed a violation, a perversion, of the very nature of life and the world. Her claims were wild and unsettling but as her explanation deepened, her scent never changed. Always the dewy camelias and fresh rain scent he had come to appreciate, and the nervous yuzu of her uncertainty over his reactions, but never the scent of lies or fear or malice.

"What proof have you?"

"The well itself isn't cooperating right now but I have another idea. Follow me."

"Where?" he demanded.

"You'll have to wait and see."

Kagome was banking on his innate inu curiosity to drive him forward. She walked away from their vantage point and deeper into the forest, guarding her exposed ribs with one arm tucked neatly around herself, and the other working to clear brush from her path.

As he watched her power through her own uncertainty and nervousness just as she was the foliage, Sesshoumaru realized the woman was most likely telling the truth. It explained much about her behavior and disparate notions about mating and pack behavior.

The daiyoukai shadowed her silently and Kagome simply walked ahead of him, allowing him the space and silence to absorb.

"Here it is." she said quietly.

Kagome approached the unremarkable tree with reverence. A twisted mass of gnarled roots and vines grew up from the ground and enveloped the trunk up to the lowest branches. The trunk itself bore a large, bare spot that was free of branches and bark. She stepped forward and laid her free, right hand against the naked trunk.

"This was where I was attacked. I ran from the well as fast as I could and then I found Inuyasha. Saw him for the first time right here."

Sesshoumaru sniffed and nearly lost his composure as the familiar and lost scents of his brother were woven into the tree itself.

"Is this…?"

"Where he was sealed. Yes. A sacred arrow through his chest held him to the tree right here." Kagome turned her head. "You never knew?"

He was three steps behind her and gazing up at the bare trunk. There it was: that same lost and regretful gaze that might appear to be stoicism and indifference to anyone else. Already, Kagome knew him better. This place was another reminder that he was already too late.

"I turned a blind eye to much in my rage. I did not seek him out while the West was in turmoil. It was only when most of the work was done that I left to patrol the land once again. This land is also part of the East so I have no cause to come so deep into the dragon's territory without good reason out of respect for our agreements."

"Oh. Should you not be here? I didn't think of that."

Still, Sesshoumaru didn't look away from the tree.

"Ryouzou was warned of this journey. He slept here for over five decades…"

"Mmm. The arrow held him to the tree and when I broke the seal, he woke up and started shouting and growling like not a day had passed." She laughed just once and it sounded hollow. "It wasn't until much later that I learned what had happened, why he was here, but he saved my life that first day we met. Tried to end it too, but he did save me."

"Naraku's malice reached far and wide. My little brother and the clay miko were but two innocent victims adrift in a sea of death."

"We can talk about that some more if you want to but that's not what I wanted to show you. Come here, please."

Kagome gestured for him to place his hand on the tree and, though he thought her stranger than usual in this moment, complied with her playacting and laid his right hand against the sun-warmed tree. His curiosity peaked when she laid her hand atop his and closed her eyes. A moment passed and then another and he was a second from pulling away and accusing her of teasing once again when a trembling echo beneath their stacked hands caused his eyes to widen.

"Stay still." she said quietly. "Just listen."

Kagome furrowed her brow and more of her reiki was funneled into the tree. Soon, the faint sounds of life reverberated around them as if heard underwater. Blaring roars, ringing, birds chirping, the crackle of an electric storm, the sound of wind through branches. Sesshoumaru opened his citrine eyes to watch her. A palm laid against the tree, the faint glow of energy passing from her hand to the sacred tree, Kagome wore a sad grin and he smelled the salt of withheld tears as she connected with what he assumed was the homeland beyond her reach.

His heart understood her anguish. So far removed and stolen away from all those things that were familiar. The Lord of the North had sentenced her to do it all over again. Despite the multitude of changes and uncertainty, she had still selflessly agreed to Katsurou's demand and was making the best of what time she had wherever she was.

He marveled for a moment at the selflessness of his future Mate. If he was not careful, it would be all too easy to take advantage of her open and amiable nature. She was an innocent and unique soul in need of a protector to safeguard her future and her heart. He made the decision to do both in the years of her life they would share.

The connection to her home was cut off and Kagome moved her hand away from his and stepped back to sit carefully on one of the gnarly roots.

"You have lost much to fulfill your promises."

"I'm not the only one. We're more alike than I realized. My past life is out of reach but not because I can't go back there. It's out of reach because I can never go back to living the way my family does. I don't belong there anymore. All I can do is move forward and make the best of whatever time I have left. Here… and with you."

"You keep this truth hidden from everyone?"

"No, my friends in the village know. Kaede knows. Obviously, Shippou knows. And now you know. Honesty is paramount between Mates." she grinned. "Now you know the truth about me."

"My brother knew?"

"Brace yourself," she grinned wider. "-your brother could come with me to the future. He met my family. My mother, grandfather, and my own brother. Souta loved him. They all did."

"Inuyasha was… unique. He had a true pack with you, then."

"I like to think so. He was comfortable with them. I'm used to a relationship like that with someone I love. I want trust and honesty, just like you do, but I need to feel valued and equal. When you bark orders at me and disappear, I feel like an accessory. A tool. To me, that's not an equal partnership."

"And you value being equal above being guaranteed safety?"

"Those two ideas are not mutually exclusive, Sesshoumaru. I can trust you to keep us safe _**and**_ not be made to feel like a pawn. Trust is a big thing for you but when it comes to a partner, it's big for me, too. I need you to trust me enough to make decisions, even if they aren't the ones you might have made. I want to be part of a team. I will never be a cowering, submissive wife; and I may not agree with you about lots of things, but it doesn't mean I'm wrong and you can bark orders at me and still get your way, Alpha or not. You agreed to a human Mate and that's what you're getting. That's why I was so upset yesterday."

"I understand."

"Then you get why I can't just take orders without question."

"You can, and should, when your life depends on my knowledge of your safety."

"What?"

"In your future, is the world so dangerous as it is here? You were not a trained warrior when we met the first several times."

"No, my world is safer by far, that's true."

"Yet still you would defy my orders when I have nearly a millennium of life from which to draw my strategy?"

"When you put it that way, I understand your reasons but why can't we try my way?" she pushed.

In the blink of an eye, he was knelt before her. On one knee and hard golden eyes boring into her uncertain ocean blue.

"Weakness." He grabbed her shoulders, suddenly desperate for her to understand. "Hear me: **You** will become my greatest weakness. Katsurou has ensured it. After the Mating, I will feel your fear, your pain, the panic when you are touched by danger. Do not make me choose between the safety of hundreds in my charge and your own. If you cannot obey my orders to remain unharmed, to trust This One to protect you, the distraction caused by your disobedience has the potential to kill us both. This world is not safe or free of danger as yours was. Once a human resides in the Palace as the Lady of the West, I am almost certain there will be many attempts to divide us."

_'So that's what happened then… It must be. He already knows something's coming but it happens anyway? What did we do wrong?'_

Black hair shook around her face as the worries of the future took a backseat to the concerns of the present.

"The solution isn't to lock me away like a porcelain doll; it's to communicate and plan, for kami's sake. Mortal danger follows me as closely as my own shadow and you-"

Kagome shook her head again. She couldn't tell him anything about his own future. Not when she was still trying to change it. Her small hand faltered in the empty space between them then cupped the right side of his jaw.

"If they want to kill us off or make mistakes by dividing us then the most practical solution is to stay together. I'm trying to learn about you and trust you. You have to trust me, too."

Frustration swirled in his aura and his gaze left her to stare into the nothingness of the deeper forest as acceptance crept in. She was right. Two decades of life and the least strategic being he had ever known, and she was right. They could be stronger together if he could learn to trust her. Not that either of them would make it easy.

He rose from the ground and stood before her.

"Tell me of the future then. What becomes of my house?"

Panicked blue eyes found him staring at her once again.

"I can't."

His golden eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Cannot or will not?"

"I don't- Don't ask me to-" she sputtered.

_'Idiot! I never thought he'd ask me that!'_

Sesshoumaru nearly laughed as she panicked to come up with an excuse. It was wrong but she was so easily flustered…

"Breathe, Kagome. If ever there is a time to impart necessary knowledge of the future, I… will trust you to do so."

"Really?"

"Hm. Show me that you are worthy of my trust by returning it, today and in all matters of importance."

"I can promise you to try."

"Then that will have to be enough for now. Come."

The Lord of the West raised his chin, stood to his full height, and extended a hand to his intended, who still sat on the overgrown roots at the base of the sacred tree. Kagome only stared at the offered hand for a long moment. Slowly, she reached forward and clasped his hand in her own. He lifted her gently from her seat.

Two steps brought the young woman to his side and they took each other in. Ancient amber and sky blue. Sesshoumaru turned his silver head toward the village and took a tentative step. When she matched his stride once again, a small laugh erupted from his right.

"Hm?"

"Life is strange…" she mused.

He nodded his agreement.

"Indeed, and it grows more surprising with each passing year."

"Well, at least we can count on **one** thing to happen next year." she chuckled.

"In fact, I can imagine several pleasant certainties in the coming year." He gave her a rare and slightly impish grin as they continued to walk.

"Wait- Are you- Did you just-" Kagome sputtered. "Don't joke about," her free hand concealed her face from him, "…things like that!"

"I speak of the Bonding ceremony of Kenshin and his Mate, and the council meeting preceding our own. To what are **you** referring?"

"Nothing!" she squeaked quickly, the apples of her cheeks staining a dark pink. "Never mind!"

"Were you suggesting-" he began with an air of mischief.

"Just drop it, okay?!"

His deep chuckle did nothing to calm her mortification but neither one released their hand as they walked down the hill.

…

The afternoon passed by quickly as Kagome gave Sesshoumaru a short tour of the village, pointing at houses and naming the many maladies that had befallen each family.

The villagers they encountered in between stops spoke quietly among themselves as the couple passed by. Kagome was oblivious, happy to be showing him something of hers for once, but Sesshoumaru heard the beginnings of human gossip that was less than flattering about Kagome's fondness for youkai as company.

_'Perhaps a permanent guard is in order for observation as much as safety.'_

Her scent was overly ripe with camelia blooms and the sweeter wisteria of her unfettered happiness. To continue the pleasant mood, he asked polite but penetrating questions about human afflictions and how they came to be as his future Mate chattered happily. Human health had never been a concern of his but as Rin aged, Kagome asserted that she would need a certain measure of care.

"I am aware your bodies grow feeble with age, but they cease to function properly beginning in late adulthood?"

"That's the black and white version but it's more accurate to say that some individual parts of us begin to break down before others. Miyoshi-san suffers from arthritis in his back, like Kaede does in her hands, and sometimes needs rest in between days of hard work."

"This is an affliction you cannot heal yourselves?"

"We can heal to a point. Not like you can, obviously. Our bodies fight infections, heal injuries, but they will never grow stronger with age."

"And yet your species survives into the far future?"

"Strange, huh?"

"Not so when you consider the rapid pace at which you multiply."

Kagome walked ahead of him and clasped her hands behind her back.

"I'm going to let that ride as an observation of my species as a whole, and not a personal curiosity."

"As you wish." he grinned at her back.

Kagome took him to Kaede's house to formally introduce them. The inu surprised them both by thanking the elder miko for her care of Rin over the past few years.

"Rin is much better adjusted to life with her own kind." he said politely. "I appreciate your care of her."

"She was as necessary and useful as any apprentice. You did me a favor, as well, but I accept your gratitude, Sesshoumaru-sama."

"Where is Rin?" Kagome cut in.

"She and Sango went down to the river to wash clothes and reacquaint themselves. Yer Shippou is guarding the children, I believe. Teaching them valuable lessons, certainly." Kaede winked. "That reminds me, Kagome, Chisato will be arriving sometime around the autumn harvest. I plan to make good use of the extra hands."

"Ah. Okay. Well, we have one more stop up here, then I'll go back home and start cleaning up for dinner. Thanks, Kaede!"

Sesshoumaru observed as Kagome turned around to leave. News of this "Chisato" had soured her scent and dulled the bright twinkle of her eyes that had been present all afternoon. Why? He resolved to ask later but she interrupted his plans as they ducked out of the miko's home.

"Kaede likes you well enough."

"Hm. One of the few humans I have met that have any sense."

"I agree with you there, actually. Follow me. There's something I want you to see."

They set off across a sunlit patch of green grass atop the hill, away from the shrine building closer to the woods. The scent of freshly dug soil and decay reached his nose but a light breeze from the mountain above swept it away. Several footsteps later, the question came.

"Who is 'Chisato'?" he asked from behind her.

"Caught that, huh? She's my… replacement." Kagome cleared the lump from her throat and stopped walking.

"Hm."

"Here we are."

Sesshoumaru had been blindly following the miko and pondering her reasoning for being upset. Before he realized where they had gone, Kagome stopped and pointed to a simple but clean gravestone.

"Inuyasha." she said simply, kneeling down to touch the smooth surface before folding her hands and praying.

The inudaiyoukai had only the presence of mind to wonder quietly why it was blank but found the thoughts wrapped around other, less identifiable emotions. No, this was not the moment to conquer such feelings. The scent of decay reached his nose once again and before his mind could decipher more, he stopped breathing. The daiyoukai surprised her by coldly turning away and walking out of the graveyard before speaking again.

"I thought you might want to see him while you were here." she said quietly, looking confused.

"Perhaps later. I will hunt, collect Rin, and meet you at your home."

"I haven't shown you where that is yet, though."

"I will find it." He laid finger beside his nose.

"Right. Okay then. See you later…"

With a crouch and no backwards glance, he sprang into the air and left her there, wondering what she had done wrong.

…

Hours later, Sesshoumaru saw Rin to bed in the spare bedroom of Kagome's house and rejoined her in the central room. Shippou's light snoring from her own bed was loud enough even for the woman to hear and she grinned toward the dark room.

"Well, good night, Sesshoumaru. Are you sure you don't want to stay here? There's another bedroom and it's no trouble."

"I do not need rest tonight. You should sleep. I will keep watch."

"Are you all right? I'm sorry if I said something earlier that upset you. I didn't mean to-"

"You did not. Good night."

"Wait. I thought we were being honest with each other. You're upset about… something. I can tell."

"Perhaps another time. Meditate and sleep, Kagome."

"Okay. G'night…"

A small hand clutched her ribs where the wound be healed come the morning. The other laid itself over her worried heart.

…

Like a ghost, Sesshoumaru hovered over the graveyard and kept his youki free to ward away any unwanted guests. A strong night wind blew through the village and sent the trees around the shrine into a rustling wave.

_'I did not offer you solace in life. Nothing changes by doing so now.'_

Silver hair waved as Sesshoumaru looked past the cluster of huts in the village proper to the lone house at the forest's edge just as Kagome doused the last glowing embers of the fire, darkening the windows.

_'And yet… Perhaps it is still necessary.'_

Seconds later, two black boots touched down near the grave of Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru took one last breath before kneeling down.

"The human way of mourning is primitive. The body does not house the soul. Your peace is not found in the ground atop the land you protected but I hope you have found it."

A clawed finger extended toward the blank gravestone and lit with youki as the daiyoukai called his power and continued his private conversation.

"Our father's land is protected and secure. My hope is that it will survive long into the future now that I have embraced that which you already knew: humans are necessary and some carry honor worth acknowledging."

The sizzle of melted stone ceased for a moment as Sesshoumaru assessed his work but then continued both to speak and to write.

"Your miko is safe and will remain so in This Sesshoumaru's care, as she was in yours. I will respect and honor our connection for as long as she lives. I will spare her from the turmoil of a true Bond with respect for her humanity but Kagome will never know difficulty if This Sesshoumaru can manage it."

A clawed finger reached forward, lit with the glow of acid once more, and Sesshoumaru traced the last few characters.

"I understand now that you had at your disposal the means and knowledge of the future to rule the masses yet you desired only a modest and fruitful life in an inconsequential village with one you loved. You possessed a wisdom and honesty that I failed to-"

A sharp inhale echoed over the silent stone and the elder inu broke his gaze with the grave to collect himself.

"I have never wished for more than was my lot but for your life alone, would that I had the power to change your fate. Be at peace, little brother."

Without another word, Sesshoumaru took off to spend the night atop the roof of his future Mate, making good on the promise to keep her from harm. Below, the once blank gravestone reflected the moonlight that highlighted the shadows of the fresh inscription:

_Inuyasha_

_Heir of the West_

_Honored son of the Inu no Taishou_

…

Deep in a narrow cave hidden the sheer cliffs of the South, a powerful slap rang out and echoed between the damp stone walls. Silver eyes bore down on the frightened and prostrated form of Tsuneyori.

"_**Idiot!**_ Useless! The child was to die to provoke his rage! They were as vulnerable as ever they could be and you failed to kill even a small human girl."

"The miko refused to cooperate!" the younger male shouted at the cave floor. "I cannot detect her presence without my youki." Pleading, crimson eyes raised with his head. "Father, if you would but remove the seal, I could use my full potential to kill them all!"

"Think! The miko can purify you if you are whole, Tsuneyori. What's worse, your mother would find you and our plans would be at an end. She would pad and coddle you. Return you home and keep you like a pet. I will make you a king. Which would you prefer?"

"I want to understand but the West is not vulnerable. They amass new soldiers each year and his trade with the humans grows more prosperous. How can we two hope to defeat them all?"

"Only the head of a beast need be severed for the body to die. We are invited to the yearly tournament. There, you will disguise yourself as the champion of the kitsune and enter." A clawed hand waved dismissively. "Kill the original, I suppose. When we win, you will provoke the proud Sesshoumaru and his future Mate after the celebratory dinner, and we will end them there. There is no heir, no brother, and no Mate to take the West from us."

"His General is not to be overlooked."

"Ah, but he has a weak spot now as well." Daichi's slim fingers caressed the cheek of Tsuneyori. "Offspring are so useful. Not long now, my kit. Not long now…"

...

**AN:** Sorry this one took so long but at least it's long, right? I'm back in school and that means less time to write and more time doing less exciting things. I'll still try to keep updates regular, and my motivation is definitely still there, so bear with me. Next time, the anniversary of Inuyasha's death, the Council meeting in the West, and who's that familiar and roguish personal guard of Kagome's? ;)


	31. Chapter 31 - Separation:Year 1:Autumn 1

**Author's Note:** I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 31 – The Separation: Year 1: Autumn: Part I**

The sky was bright and clear overhead even as the trees became laced with the blazing colors of autumn all around the village, trailing up into the surrounding mountains. The grass darkened in preparation for hibernation, and all over the village there were deals and trades being made to secure basic needs for the impending winter.

The yearly rice harvest was in full swing in the small village of Edo. Farmers, their wives and children, and even a strange, young miko were called on to work from morning until night. The elders of the village were occupied with the easier jobs of bundling and hanging, and all were expected to help. Today had been especially fun for those in the fields as rice stalks were harvested, cut, and passed off. Rows and rows of trimmed stalks lined storehouses and hung from every available hook and peg to dry before the air turned cool.

Today, Kagome had given up miko robes for a shorter, pale blue yukata that was made thinner for farm work. The ends were girded around her thighs and she had bound her hair up a massive, twisted bun to mirror the farmer's wives. The village women had been slow to warm up to her as a working companion but Kagome plowed ahead both in the water and with the one-sided conversation, musing happily about each of their children and the fine weather. Before long, lively laughter and animated chatter was mixed with the sounds of their hand sickles.

_'Odd as it seems, I'm really going to miss this…'_ she thought, standing at the end of a row to brush the sweat from her brow as the day finally neared its end.

Honest work and a full day ending in sore muscles and mud up to her knees was not something she expected from a future living in the West. Perhaps, yearly visits to the village would be enough to satisfy her need to feel useful.

_'Can't hurt to ask anyway. He's pretty reasonable most of the time…'_ She reflected for a moment on Sesshoumaru's reaction to her training Rin in the basics of archery over the summer and giggled nervously to herself. That man really could scowl with the best of them. _'… Most of the time.'_

"Kagome!" came a call from across the field.

She squinted against the twilight then waved an arm at Sango who was balancing the day's laundry on her hip and motioning for Kagome to join her on the road.

"I'll be there in a few minutes, Sango-chan!" she yelled back.

Kagome replaced her tools, chatted for a moment with the elders along the way, and told a busy Kaede where she was going for the evening. With a light heart and a sweat-soaked yukata, the young miko jogged to her house and grabbed a change of clothes before meeting Sango on the road in front of their house. Her blue eyes brightened when she spotted the flipping tails of Kirara behind Sango's leg.

"Hello there!" she cooed. "Right on time, huh? It's been ages since you came to visit us!"

The happy miko smiled and squatted down to lovingly pet the nekomata who arched her back into the offered warm hand.

"Kohaku is reacquainting himself with his nieces and nephew," Sango chuckled above her, "and Shippou is 'helping' Miroku again so Kirara has agreed to take us tonight, if you are ready?"

"Don't tease me anymore, Sango-chan. Of course, I'm ready! I am _dying_ for a good soak."

"I would never tease about a hot spring." the retired slayer grinned.

Kirara backed up and, in a flurry of flames, transformed into the much larger, fanged beast who could carry them both. With a roar, the fire cat laid down and waited for her friends to climb on.

"Well, then let's go before anyone changes their minds!"

Kagome practically dragged Sango over and climbed up.

"My feet and my soul appreciate your kindness, Kirara." Kagome said as they took off and headed west.

…

High up in the foothills, the two women sighed in unison as they sank neck deep into the warm, effervescent water of a small hot spring ringed by rough, gray stone. Kagome broke the silence first.

"I really needed this. Thank you so much."

"I need a break as well. Mostly because Miroku has decided we are ready for another child-"

"By which you mean he won't keep his hands to himself… Well, more than usual."

"I have nearly slapped him several times! So persistent…" Sango trailed off, stirring the water with a finger.

"You're lucky. He loves you, Sango-chan, even if he's annoying as hell sometimes." she laughed.

"I know-" The taijiya dipped beneath the water and rose to smooth her hair. "-but enough about my problems. How are you? You looked sad as you finished today."

"Just reflecting that this might be my last harvest with the village." the miko sighed. "I've missed so much of your lives already and I feel like I'm disappearing again next year. Not that I can help it, I guess…"

"And we will miss you but-" Kagome looked at her curiously. "-you have an opportunity to change much with Sesshoumaru. Daiyoukai exist in a world completely separate from ours but if what you have told us is true, he is changing the balance of power to include the youkai Lords. It is no small undertaking and a wise course of action. I underestimated him."

"I did, too, in the beginning. He's called me an 'ambassador for humans' in their world… but I can do good here, too. I feel useful and needed here. Will I feel like that there? What am I supposed to do all day?"

"I cannot say. You will be the first human I have ever known to be a part of their society. Their private lives are a closely guarded mystery." A long moment of relaxation passed until Sango lost her internal battle against questioning her friend further. "What does Sesshoumaru-sama say?"

"I haven't had the nerve to ask him specifics yet. We've only just started to _talk_. I haven't had the courage to question him about the future yet. Not with fall so close…"

It didn't take a demon's sense of smell to decipher the conflict on her friend's face but Sango waited, wringing her hair and watching Kagome form the thoughts.

"Honestly, sometimes, I feel guilty for being… happy? If that's what I am. Content, anyway. I want to move forward but I can't ignore the feeling of betrayal that creeps in when I'm alone with him." Kagome sank lower in the water. "It doesn't make sense. I know that."

"Oh, Kagome… Inuyasha would wish for you to be happy, no matter what. He said so several times while you were separated and before you returned to us. I know he would never wish for you to live alone, full of guilt and regret, for the rest of your days."

"I know. Logically, I know that," Kagome hugged her knees and spoke quietly, "but is it really okay for me to move on?"

The sounds of displaced water accompanied Sango's approach and Kagome felt a warm arm wrap itself around her shoulders.

"Yes, of course. You would say something like 'allow the feelings to happen in their own time,' I think. Do not let the regrets of the past cloud your vision of the future. Be happy. Even if it's with the Lord of the West, of all people." Sango shivered.

"Don't say it like that." Blue eyes flicked up with a sad defensiveness from the water. "He's actually… nice in his own way. He's had as many trials in his life as we all have, maybe more, and everyone expects something from him. I don't envy him his position or responsibility… but I can see now that he needs a home and a soft place to land just like we all do."

"And you intend to be such?" Sango asked.

Kagome gasped, embarrassed and unprepared to answer, and Sango chuckled and continued.

"No, no, I support you. I wish for your happiness, but I will never feel comfortable as you do. Sesshoumaru-sama is lucky it was you who was chosen. If anyone could find the gentle and compassionate side of a daiyoukai Lord, it would be you, Kagome-chan."

"I get the feeling that if it wasn't me, no one would have been chosen. I wish I knew why everything happened this way but at least I know- well, I feel like we're on the same page. I also feel like there's something I'm missing… I can't explain it."

For a long moment, Kagome gazed up at the fading light as the first, bright stars made their appearance against the silver clouds that hailed the sunset.

"Next year this time you will have more to work through than your thoughts. Long, white hair comes to mind…" the taijiya grinned as Kagome nearly snorted.

"Sango! You're just like your husband, you know that?"

"Hardly. His humor aims far… _lower_ than mine." Sango winked playfully.

"_Sango!_"

Kagome immediately hid her face with dripping hands then peeked at her friend a moment later. The two women stared quietly at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter and finishing their much-needed soak before returning to the village and parting ways for the night after Kagome's warm hugs and thanks.

…

Early the next morning, sun washed over the sand-colored mountains, lighting the training fields and barracks of the Western Fortress. Inside the General's quarters, a sigh of disappointment echoed through the common room for the third time during the morning.

"Our son is coming to the South with me, Ryota, and that is the last of it."

Kouji pinched the bridge of his nose from the doorway of the anteroom, already tired of this circular discussion so early in the morning.

"_Our_ son has not met half of his family in the north, Ko, and he knows your kin well enough."

The General's crimson-eyed Mate scowled and pointed an accusatory finger out the window.

"It is their shortcoming that your family hide away in the hills whilst there is so much else of the world to see!"

"Ask Haru. Let him decide."

Ryota's ice blue eyes twinkled knowingly and his short, mahogany hair waved around his jaw as he tipped his chin up and grinned. Kouji growled and crossed his arms.

"You only say that because you know he prefers your lax, rowdy company to my-"

"Strict and stuffy lecturing?" Ryota interjected, earning a half-hearted glare from the pheasant daiyoukai across the low breakfast table. "What say you, Haruto, my son?"

"Papa!" Haruto beamed, running around to grab the kumadaiyoukai's thick, tanned arm.

"Ha! There. To the northern woods we go."

The curious, onyx gaze of Haruto caught Ryota's attention.

"But Tou-chan said there was a whole ocean and black sand to play in with Fushi-jii and Ietsuna-oba and the new chicks! Can I go there, too?"

Ryota and Kouji looked at each other and ice blue met warm vermilion for a long moment before they both smiled and conceded the argument. Kouji crossed the room and crouched down to lay a hand on Haruto's small shoulder.

"So there is, but if you go with Papa, there is also beautiful snow and big mountains to climb. Lots of hunting to do and another large, albeit uncultured, family for you to know."

"The temperature in the dead of winter may yet be too harsh for him, now that I think of it." Ryota offered a hand to Kouji. "Take him South, Mate. Enjoy some time without the bother of the Palace. I will take him next year when he is stronger."

"If you are sure. He will never know boredom on the cliffs of our pyre."

"To the beach!" Haruto cheered and Ryota chuckled.

"Very well, dear one, but never forget you represent the West and our Lord Sesshoumaru as well. Be on your best behavior."

"Where is the fun in that?" Kouji winked, turning for the anteroom to gather Haruto's needs for the journey.

"You represent the West, too, you minx. You tell that eagle to keep his claws to himself this year or my axe will find its way South, snow or not. Kouji?"

A low chuckled erupted from behind the screen before Kouji's curious face and iridescent emerald hair flicked into view once more.

"I heard your blustering, my love. Fear not. Did you not have a meeting with Sesshoumaru-sama to attend this morning?"

"Ah, seven hells, I forgot!"

The kumadaiyoukai thundered past Kouji and changed into an open, black kimono. The grinning pheasant daiyoukai met him at the door with fussing hands to straighten his haphazard collar and obi, and gave him a quick but loving kiss.

"Leave us here to pack and I shall meet you in the courtyard before we leave."

"Hm." Ryota nodded, turning for the door.

"Bye, Papa!"

"See you soon, cub!"

The sprint across the grounds to Sesshoumaru's study was short and soon Ryota stood before the large doors, straightening his appearance once again.

"Damned belt…" he grumbled.

"Come." came the familiar voice beyond.

Ryota slid the large door open and faced the seated Sesshoumaru with a bow.

"I am sorry for my tardiness, my Lord."

"It is of no consequence. These missives from Miyu no Tsukihana describe no new evidence of activity that might be useful, in any case."

Sesshoumaru leaned forward, dark green kimono sleeves trailing the table, and placed some letters on the opposite side where the General was standing. Ryota seated himself across from his Lord and considered the papers one by one.

"If the Lady Mother sees nothing of interest from on high, truly there must be nothing. Is this one from-"

"Katsurou, yes. He intends to visit the human village in the winter to verify Kagome's continued presence. I expected him to forget the arrangement completely but he is more interested than I assumed."

Ryota's eyes widened at the familiar and easy use of the young female's name. The Lord of the West continued, unaffected, as his companion gaped.

"I concur that there is little information of interest. However, guard must be maintained. Though he targeted Rin, anyone in the West could be at risk without further information. Additionally, I am sending a personal guard to the human village for the miko's safety. My request for your council was to review these reports for detail, and to determine the best candidate for the assignment to the human village."

Ryota closed his eyes and nodded firmly.

"For the love of the kami, send Ren. That pup is overtired of his brother's intended and their affectionate ways. If I have to shoo him out of the arena to stop working himself to death one more time to get some rest, I may barricade the doors. The two are already acquainted. He is accomplished and will be attentive. I expect no trouble here during the winter that would require his attention. The newest recruits are trained well enough to continue their own plans for development but they are not ready for an assignment that tests their resolve like lasting the winter in the company of the humans. Your future Mate's people all bed down in the winter and remain where they are, for the most part, and we have no information that leads me to expect anything other than a boring season."

"Hm. The matter of the assassin is yet to be resolved, remember. Our reconnaissance has yielded no new information or leads on the attacker or their identity."

"And no new attacks to correlate. Lady Rin was the only confirmed target… Odd when a miko has so many enemies in our world. I expected her to be the target. Are you certain she should be brought here in the spring?"

"Hm. Her familiarity with our kind is limited at best and her physical presence may make it easier to coerce a tempted killer into action."

"Using her as bait, my Lord?" Ryota asked, concern darkening his eyes.

"She is safer here, still, than in her isolated human village. I also wish for her to witness the ceremony and assess her commitment to the matter."

"A test and a trial?" the General questioned, earning a curt nod. "Ever the strategist, Sesshoumaru… You picked a mild introduction to our Bonding ceremony, however. I imagine Kenshin will keep the event discreet. Well, as discreet as is possible against human standards."

"Discretion **is** his specialty." Sesshoumaru said knowingly.

"Indeed. Ah, and Kouji is leaving with Haruto for the South today. We want him settled before the colder air creeps in."

"Very well. Have Kouji issue his orders to the Chief Healer before his departure. Maintain the existing guards to monitor the southern border closely for activity."

"I will relay your orders, my Lord. Now a personal query: will you visit Lady Kagome before the winter?"

"Yes. To remind her of the lingering danger and notify her of my absence until spring."

"And to invite her to the Bonding of Kenshin and his maid, correct? Or does she already know her presence is required?"

"Hm. She does not. Though the decision to attend is still ultimately hers."

"Is that hesitation I hear?" Ryota grinned slyly. "I doubt very highly your miko would miss the chance to attend such a happy event."

"In the presence of so many unfamiliar youkai? Her aura was turbulent at best during the Council meeting, and nearly out of control at worst. Though her safety is a concern, I fear her presence could disrupt more than just the event should she become overwhelmed."

"She had only just lost a Mate! That is hardly a fair assessment of her abilities under pressure."

Sesshoumaru was silent, gathering missives into a pile and tapping them on the desk before rising to cross the room. The knit of his brow when he turned back around concerned his General more than the tired sound of his voice.

"And it has been barely a year since. Were it you, would you wish for such a reminder?"

"A reminder of what? A happy, what do they call it, 'marriage'? She is the kindest, purest soul I have ever encountered, and would be pleased to celebrate with them. May I speak freely?"

"Hm."

"You are letting your fea-" The lift of a pale eyebrow gave the great bear pause. "-your _misgivings_ about this coupling and guilt of your involvement cloud your judgement where she is concerned. She has welcomed your attention, laid her fears at your feet, and embraced the differences between you by the sound of it. That does not sound like a hesitant female to these ears."

"Perhaps… you are right. Your council is appreciated."

"Glad I could help." Ryota slapped the table and rose. "Now, I have a Mate to see off and more orders to give. I shall wait for you to visit the human village before I leave to winter with my clan."

"I will walk with you to see the Lieutenant away then depart for Edo."

"Good! Since Kouji reports more frequently to Lady Kikuko, he will be glad to see you for the first time this autumn."

"Has it been so long?"

"Your weekly hunts for that madman have taken you far and wide, my Lord. Rest this winter and enjoy the peace of the season with Lady Rin."

"Hm."

…

Miroku called through the worn bamboo screen of Kagome's door bright and early that same morning. The young miko lifted it, blinked into the early morning sun, and bid him come in. His black and violet robes settled around his ankles and the shakujou staff pounded the floor with purpose, jingling loudly and causing her to startle across the room.

"Today is the day, Kagome-sama!"

"Damn. You're all finished with her, then?"

"Chisato has all of the knowledge of ceremony and philosophy I can impart. You can escape no longer."

"Ah, seven hells… and it was such a good morning."

"Where is young Shippou?" the monk asked, scanning the sparse house for the familiar flash of red fur.

"Fishing. Again." she sighed, wiping breakfast dishes out with a worn rag. "He's taken notes on 'providing for one's pack' from Sesshoumaru. I was pleasantly surprised, at first, to find that he's so motivated."

Miroku's eyebrow raised in question.

"And what happened? Seems it would be nice to have so much youthful energy to direct."

"I agree but… Just keep him far away from your laundry, woodpile, and hearth until we get some more lessons in. This is your warning."

Kagome shivered remembering the ashy mess that he'd made from floor to ceiling trying to sweep up while she was working elsewhere in the village. His 'surprise' had caused more work than help but she'd smiled and thanked him anyway.

"Shippou is growing up then. It is a sign of maturity that he is committing himself to learn these new domestic skills."

"He is. I have Sesshoumaru to thank for this new, unceasing compulsion to help. His talks on our way back from the kitsune village led Shippou to believe he has to do everything for us. The next talk had better be about moderation." She put down the rag and faced Miroku, leaning against the prep table opposite the fire. "I want him to be able to fit in wherever he goes, whatever he becomes, and grumpy as he may sometimes be, Sesshoumaru can teach him all the things I can't."

Miroku folded his hands with a peaceful smile on his face.

"The kami weave intricate paths for us all."

"I believe that now more than ever, and thank you for understanding."

"I understand that you are at peace, your heart is healed, and you seem happy. If the fearsome Lord of the West is the cause, I thank him for returning your spirit to its brilliance."

"That silver tongue of yours ever chip your teeth?" she chuckled, walking away from him to change into her robes.

He continued their conversation by shouting through the house as she changed.

"And yet I am not able to convince Chisato to be more open with us. It is a shame you will not tell her of your past exploits. She would better understand our reverence for your abilities and she might warm to your tutelage if you allowed us to tell her the truth."

"She needs to respect all people, no matter their lot in life. It's not her job to like people because they're accomplished. It's her job to stitch up farmers, protect the village from evil influence, and provide guidance to everyone equally."

Stepping out from the bedroom, dressed and ready, her long, ebony hair shook as Kagome stopped the futile anger in its tracks.

"I'm done preaching. I'm done changing, too, so let's get this over with."

"That is the spirit, Kagome-sama!"

Miroku all but shoved her out the door and the pair talked and laughed nearly the entire journey down the dirt road to the shrine. Tackling the long climb without pause, they continued their conversation all the way to the top.

"And you think he misses the village?"

"He misses his friends, I know. Shippou is going back to school next week so you guys should see him while you can. I think he wants to stay there through the winter this year since he missed so much time last year."

A haunted look passed over Miroku's face as he remembered the events of last winter. How they'd almost lost her. But as they climbed the shrine steps and Kagome took a look around, he appreciated how far she'd come. It wasn't false praise he'd given when he thanked Sesshoumaru for returning his dear friend to life. Whatever had happened between them since then had brought the light back to her eyes and the spring to her step.

The young miko appraised the shrine with a familiar eye. The grass was just beginning to brown in the shade of the large shrine buildings, and the sounds of songbirds were quieting as the days rolled on. Turning around, Kagome gazed down at the valley and smiled.

_'It's so peaceful here. I could have lived my whole life with these people, happy and fulfilled.'_

"Your thoughts are not of training, my friend."

A breeze lifted the edges of his robes to flap around his feet, and Kagome closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh mountain air as her own unruly dark hair lifted and fell around her face in undignified wisps.

"No, I'm wondering what I'll do with my life now that this won't be my job anymore." Violet eyes turned down with sadness. "No, don't look at me like that… I'm fine. Escape while you can. Oh, and if you see Shippou, send him up here, would you? He'll know why."

Their attention was diverted as Kaede and the young miko, Chisato, broke through the tree line at the rear of the shrine. Emerging from the shadows of the forest and stepping into the bright sunlight of the morning, each carried a full, shallow basket on their hip and Kaede's gruff tenor spoke seriously of the benefits of harvesting whatever could be found right up until the first snows.

"Very well." Miroku nodded, breaking her focus. "Good luck and don't be too hard on her!"

The monk waved as he walked away.

"Yeah, well…" Kagome muttered, toeing the grass.

With a nerve-steeling sigh, she turned around to meet the pair walking in from the woods. Kaede looked agitated and pointed animatedly to each plant in the basket, giving instructions for later to the studious Chisato. Kagome wasn't without sympathy for the younger miko. There was a lot for her to learn and real life was still a new experience for the coddled, third daughter of the regional Lord. She respected that Chisato was forging a new path and trying to find her own way in the world, and that would have to be enough to get Kagome through the hours of training that started today.

Kaede was the new initiate's sensei in matters of the local horticulture, ceremony, and association with the villagers. Miroku had been her teacher in the ways of philosophy and teachings where her formal education might be lacking. Leaving Kagome to assess her more practical weapon and reiki skills. They were all three equally responsible for the village and the well-being of its occupants, and so had decided on being equally responsible for the young miko's education. Kagome forced her smile to brighten as she called to the approaching pair.

"Good afternoon, Kaede-sama! Chisato-chan!"

Chisato looked up with a start, the stain of embarrassment lit her cheeks, then dark bangs covered her delicate face as her head hung. Kaede was completely unfazed and greeted her warmly.

"Ah, good afternoon, young one. We are finished for today." The elder miko turned to the initiate. "Hand me your basket, Chisato-chan, and focus well during your sessions with Kagome-sama today."

Kaede took both baskets under one arm and patted her gently on the shoulder. Kagome nodded with a smile and looked back at her waiting charge. Chisato was shorter than average and slight of build, which was sure to make her weapon practice more taxing for them both. Her shorter, straight cropped black hair was pin-straight and hung heavily like ebony silk before barely brushing the tops of her thin shoulders. Her dark brown eyes were intense and focused, and Chisato nearly always spoke softly but with purpose. She was, all in all, the model initiate and the picture of demure piety.

_'Maybe that's why we don't get along.'_ she mused.

"Shall we?"

The older miko gestured toward the shrine and waited for the younger girl to begin walking before matching her stride down the river stone pathway.

"Yes, Kagome-sama."

"Today, we will start with meditation and then migrate down to the village for some practice. You said that you're familiar with human auras, correct?"

"Yes. Though, the shrine where I studied placed more emphasis on philosophy and healing than reiki use. Such manipulation is not required in more civilized places."

Kagome didn't miss the judgmental bite of her words. This young woman, raised in a large and peaceful city protected by an army all its own, equated violence with ignorance and in some cases, her assessment rang true but not out here. They walked up the short staircase and into the main shrine building.

"Well for now, we will meditate and I'll assess your aura. Then we can decide what needs to be done next. Oh!"

An older couple were standing near the altar, wreathed in incense and heads bowed in prayer. After a moment, two pairs of wizened, dark eyes sparkled in the morning light over at Kagome and her charge.

"Hello, Miyoshi-san, Kayo-san! I'm sorry we disturbed you." she said respectfully as they approached.

"No, no, miko-sama. Just sending up our prayers for an easy winter." Miyoshi patted his hip. "These old bones felt the need to visit the kami today."

"And you are most welcome." Kagome bowed. "Have you met Chisato? She is training with us now in hopes of taking residence in the village."

"Is she now? Well, we shan't bother you then. Learn well from our Kagome. Tisn't every day one of your kind gets to meet the likes of the great Sh-"

"Oh, none of that." she cut in, waving the praise away. "Your back is quite recovered then? It's a long hike up those steps."

"You fuss as much as Kayo! Wounds a man's pride." he grumbled. "I am fine."

His wife laid a gentle hand on the sun-bleached sleeve of her husband's rust-colored yukata.

"We would not fuss if you would act your age and stop trying to outdo the younger men in the fields."

"I agree." Kagome nodded then wagged a friendly finger at the stubborn elder. "You were trying to outpace me on cutting day, as well. Don't think I didn't notice."

"Bah! Nags, the both of you. Home now, Kayo."

Kayo winked back at the two miko as she looped her arm through Miyoshi's and the couple walked slowly out of the shrine.

"He still farms?" Chisato asked gently after the pair were long out of earshot.

"Mm. They had several children but lost them either to illness, marriage, or war. He has no choice now. We all pitch in and help when we can."

"It would be more efficient to let his land to the other, younger families rather than spend so much extra effort on one elderly couple."

Kagome's eyes steeled and her tone adopted a bite Chisato had not yet heard from the older miko.

"More efficient for us but less so to his pride and their livelihood. Consider that they are one family in a community. If they cannot provide for themselves now, we will spend the resources to keep them alive during the harsh months another way. Think before you speak, Chisato-chan. There is no relief for us here. Now, sit, across from me before the altar and clear your mind. First, I will assess your aura and then we will move on to manipulation."

"Yeh- Yes, Kagome-sama." Chisato swallowed, taken aback at the stern commands of the miko who had a smile for everyone.

Kagome sighed at the honorific and the sudden fear in the initiate's tone. Refocusing, she watched Chisato sit gracefully, straighten her back, and breathe deeply as she settled into the familiar lotus position. After the younger girl's prickly aura calmed and smoothed, Kagome joined her on the worn tatami floor.

"Good. Now, let's see what we have to work with…"

Over a few hours, she assessed the dancing shades and strength of Chisato's aura but finding nothing out of sorts beside a lack of raw power, it was time to move on. While the younger girl stayed in meditation, Kagome stood and walked outside to allow her to wake naturally. The slight pressure of familiar youki on her senses had sky blue eyes laser focused up to the roof before her son could pounce.

"Don't even think about it, Ship."

Shippou dropped down to land precariously on her shoulder and Kagome noted that he felt heavier somehow than she was used to. Her kit grasped his chin and looked seriously down at his adoptive mother.

"I've got to work on my stealth… Last time, you were soaked before you knew I was there."

"Transforming into a bucket of water and tipping yourself off the roof…" she shivered. "I remember. I had a whole basket of dried herbs in my hands. Kaede was more furious than I was that we had to start over. Payback's coming one day, kiddo."

His cautious glance inside the shrine and irritated, flicking tail had Kagome turning around to peer in the doorway as well.

"Hm? Chisato-chan? She's not gonna bite."

"Says you." he grumbled. "I've heard what she says about youkai."

"We're gonna help her understand, remember? We talked about this. Just… bear with me."

"Can't I just mess with her a little first?"

"No, we want her to _like_ you."

"That'll be hard. She called us 'uncivilized, primitive beasts' last time I listened in. Some of the villagers agreed with her, too. Then they started talking about you and I just… quit listening."

"Don't dance around it." A slim finger tapped his nose. "I know what they're saying. People need something to gossip about and right now I'm it. Well, me and my many supposed demon lovers. Maybe that's why she doesn't like me, either."

"Kagome-sama?" came the unsure call from the depths of the shrine building.

"Out here, Chisato-chan! There's someone I want you to meet."

"Oh?"

The light, padding footsteps grew closer and Kagome turned around in the wide, open doorway to face the young initiate with Shippou on her shoulder.

"Chisato-chan, this is my Shippou. He's a-"

"Youkai!" she nearly screamed, looking around wildly for a weapon as her short, black hair whipped back and forth.

"Gah!" Shippou yelled, falling backward from his perch to land with a thud on the floor.

"Whoa, Chisato. Stop!" Kagome grabbed the younger girl's shoulders and held her still. "Stop and listen to me. Shippou is, for all intents and purposes, my son. He's here to help me today." She released the younger woman's shoulders with a cautious look and shooed her backward. "Now, back inside… and no more yelling. Are you okay, Ship?"

The kit stood and rubbed his backside.

"Mm hmm… I told you though."

The older miko turned around and walked with a grumble back into the shrine building to meet Chisato in the center of the room. Waiting for Shippou to join them, a slight tug on her left sleeve caught Kagome's attention.

"Hmm?"

"Kagome-sama," Chisato whispered over her shoulder, "you cannot think of allowing an evil presence in the shrine!"

The young initiate looked confused when Kagome sighed deeply and gestured to the small kitsune walking quietly behind them.

"Stop whispering. Youkai have ears many times more powerful than ours. He can hear everything you're saying. Besides, does his aura feel evil to you?"

Chisato blinked, lost, for a moment.

"Kitsune are notoriously false and he is youkai, therefore-"

"Tell him he's evil then, Chisato. Go ahead. Tell my son he's evil."

"What purpose does that serve, Kagome-sama?"

"If you truly believe what you say, this should be easy. If you believe in your heart that he is evil, you should be able to voice your convictions with no trouble."

"Why? If he is not here to attack me, this exercise is pointless… and ridiculous. You are not taking my training seriously in the slightest."

"No, this is practical. You've been taught, like the many miko before you, that youkai are evil and I respect that to a point which is why I chose this gentler approach. Civil discourse rather than trial by fire. We could always test your mettle by camping further up in the mountains and doing battle with the many, many hungry mountain youkai instead?" When Chisato shook her head and eyed Shippou warily once again, Kagome patted her shoulder. "That's what I thought. Now, put your lessons into practice and tell Shippou he's evil if you truly believe it."

"I maintain that this is ridiculous." Chisato scowled.

"Humor me." the elder miko said flatly.

"Very well." The young initiate cleared her throat and looked down the bridge of her nose at the waiting Shippou. "Kitsune- kitsune, you are-"

She paused and considered him: his aura was not violent, his cooperation spoke of intelligence, and his patience was exemplary for so small a being. Another long minute passed and then another and finally, her shoulders fell and she looked over at Kagome, concerned.

"I… cannot. It is not right."

"Why not?" Kagome asked studiously.

"He is a child… I think. He is not evil. His aura, if true, is pure."

"It is. Now, he tried to kill me once-" Kagome started.

"Hey! Just the once!" Shippou retorted.

"-and he's killed humans and other youkai. All deserved, mind you. Still pure?"

"No…" The younger girl considered him for a moment, doubt lighting her dark brown eyes, but then blinked the thoughts away and stood her ground. "No, you only confirm the teachings. Given the opportunity, they will attack a weaker being to prove their strength."

"He didn't attack **you**. And are humans so different? How did your own father come to rule such a large area? Asking nicely for those lesser lords and village farmers to give up their land?" When Chisato sputtered and grew embarrassed, Kagome held out her arms. "Shippou, come here. Let's try this a different way."

He blinked wide, sea green eyes up at her but then leapt obediently up to her shoulder.

"Chisato, this is Shippou. Shippou, say hello to Chisato."

"Hullo," he said lowly.

"Chisato, answer him please."

A sock-covered foot stomped the floor.

"This is ridiculous!"

"We've established that. Multiple times. Now, answer him."

"Good morning… Shippou-chan."

When his eyes brightened and a small fanged grin erupted on his face, Chisato found herself smiling as well.

"Go on, honey." Kagome jerked her chin toward the grinning initiate. Shippou swallowed and reached forward.

"What is he doing?"

"Hold him. He's not too heavy."

"I do not wish to hold him. It serves no purpose."

"Once again, humor me."

"Then can we please return to proper training, Kagome-sama?"

"Very well."

With cautious and shaking hands, Chisato lifted Shippou from his perch and held him at arm's length for a moment. His tail flicked nervously but piercing green eyes bored nervously but curiously into hers. She realized he was inspecting her, too.

"You wish me to understand that not all youkai are evil? That my lessons are shortsighted? Is that the purpose of this odd exercise?"

"Very good but more than that I want you to understand that many youkai wish for a peaceful and prosperous coexistence just as we do. Shippou is smart, lively, and caring, just like many of the human children raised here in Edo. He wants to grow and become stronger, find a place in the grand order of the world that is his alone. Just because our natural energies may be opposite, our lives are not. That is your lesson."

"But there are many youkai who do not behave in such a way, if the stories are to be believed."

Shippou grunted from his place in her arms.

"Oh, there are some real bast-"

"Language!" Kagome barked and both her son and the young miko flinched.

Chisato carefully set Shippou down on the floor.

"And yes, that's true." The miko sagely nodded. "Your job is to know the difference between evil and not. If a human you don't know comes to the village and begins stealing and causing trouble, we would cast him out, but at first glance, we welcome them because they take a familiar form to our friends and neighbors. If a youkai you don't know waltzes into the village, it's your job to find out why while protecting the villagers. Some cannot speak as we do but that doesn't make their desires and grievances any less important. It is not your sole purpose in life to kill them on sight."

"How am I to know what drives them when they cannot speak? How am I to defend the innocent while investigating? You ask too much!"

"She whines a lot." Shippou said quietly.

Kagome sent him a consternating frown then looked back at her charge.

"Chisato, Kaede gave me permission to teach you a new way in light of our shared history with cooperative, friendly youkai. When we're done, I **do** want you to be the barrier between the village and evil but almost equally importantly, I want you to understand and accept that youkai have a place in the world, too, and it is not beneath your shoe."

"They do not have a place in the human world, Kagome-sama, and most of the villagers do not agree with your softhearted methods. They find you too sympathetic to demons."

"Most youkai want nothing to do with the human world, either, but wish to exist separately because they carry a bias against us as well. The youkai I've known, that were open to friendship, have appreciated my approach and I have avoided unnecessary death. That is reward enough."

"You know many?"

"Kagome's got more demons for friends than humans!" Shippou added happily.

"Thank you _very much_, Shippou. Now, let's begin."

"How? There are no other youkai around."

"With humans. The villagers. The fields are vacant now, the village is calmer, so we're going down to learn what we can about human auras."

"I know of our energies, Kagome-sama. May we continue with something else?"

"If that's true, and you gain nothing new by listening, then it will still be valuable practice. Now, come."

The miko nearly barked the last statement, tired of Chisato's grumbling and dismissal.

"Yes, Kagome-sama."

For another few hours, Kagome and Chisato sat and observed as carts with goods passed through the village, children ran about avoiding chores and baths, couples walked and talked of their days. As the afternoon wore on, the initiate found herself captivated by the depth of Kagome's insights about human nature based solely on the flecks of color in their auras. Their next subject of study was a small boy, no more than nine or ten, hanging laundry beside their small house.

"See him? That's Shigure. He's the second child in that family and a calm soul. He helps his mother do things like laundry and meal prep that most of the other boys grumble about or refuse. What can you tell me about him with only your reiki?"

The young initiate closed her eyes, palms open and in front of her, and reached for the young Shigure just as they had with several others during the afternoon.

"He is young. He is happy and healthy, but there is a sickly green circling his heart I cannot identify. His heart is ill? No. He is jealous?"

Kagome shook her head.

"He is worried. His mother nearly died giving birth to his younger sister and she is pregnant again this year. He does all of this extra work to help her, knowing what might happen. You saw the difference and recognized that as an emotion, though, so that's a good start."

"But because you knew his family, you could tell what emotion was causing that ill shade?"

"Mm hmm. We are in a unique position to see and hear with more than our eyes and ears but only if you keep all of your senses open. Your heart included."

Satisfied that her student understood that there was more to the village people than meets the eye, Kagome stood and brushed the grass from her deep red hakama and waited for her trainee to do the same.

"That is all for today. You may go back to Kaede and begin her thoughtful and less-than patient lessons on salves and pastes." Kagome winked.

"Thank you, Kagome-sama." Chisato bowed. "Today has been most… informative. I will think on what you have said."

"Do that. A closed mind walls itself from light as well as growth. I wish neither for you. For any of us. Come on, Ship. Let's go home."

"Bye, Chisato!" Shippou called, waving a small hand as he leapt away.

Kagome was encouraged when she returned his enthusiastic greeting with an unsure wave of her own.

…

Sesshoumaru knelt alone in the afternoon sun at the edge of the training arena. The heavy plait of white hair laid pooled on the floor behind him. Wide, shoji doors were opened all around the large training space and the cavernous roof loomed far overhead. An ice blue barrier surrounded the field before him, activated to protect the space from the overdue experimental training about to occur.

Magenta-framed, citrine eyes opened slowly. Cat-like pupils narrowed, unfocused on the waking world, but widened as the internal call to battle incited his instincts and the need to improve his strength grew. Youki rose and spread from the inu's place on the floor like a heavy mist, concentrating every so often into nuclei of power. Golden hakama whispered across the floor as he rose with a low growl and a pale, bare foot slid forward onto the field.

Now that Ryota was gone for the winter, his usual sparring partner was not available and Sesshoumaru would train his aura and mastery over his innate skills instead.

Tenseiga rested silently at his hip. More than any other weapon, the Sword of Heaven required frequent recalibration with his own energy to respond when called. It had been a hard-learned lesson. The attacks on his house, his ward, and his future Mate were unsettling. There may come a time in the near future when the sword was needed again and it was always better to be prepared.

The sleeve of the white yukata that Sesshoumaru wore brushed the floor as one magenta-striped arm swept forward and with a _crack_, a glowing whip of youki flicked across the empty space, briefly lighting the shadows beyond. With his right hand, the steel drag of a sword from its sheath joined the hum of the whip and the dance began.

A concert of youki and a blade that does not cut flashed throughout the training field. There was no noise beyond the occasional low, reverberating growl and the whiffs of displaced air as Sesshoumaru struck with demonic speed. New combinations of youki and sword strikes were honed and practiced. The power concentrated around the field charged new blasts the inu could direct at will, inspired by the miko's unconventional use of her own raw power. Many hours later, the nervous swallow and throat clearing of the young inu Captain echoed in his sensitive ears from across the field.

"Yes, Captain?" Sesshoumaru questioned flatly, replacing the ancient sword at his hip as sweat dripped from his chin and rolled down his neck.

"You wished to see me, my Lord?"

"Hm. You are assigned to winter in the human village of Edo to protect This Sesshoumaru's future Mate and report any unusual activity. Pack your needs and meet This One at the gate at sunrise."

Ren could not have heard correctly. Had his prayer to get away from his damnable brother finally been answered? And for the whole season? The chance to see her again?

"At once." Ren bowed. "May I inquire as to why? Is the Lady in danger?"

"Hm. As the assassin has not yet been caught, and my presence is required here, you will protect her through the remaining autumn and winter."

"Why not bring the Lady here, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"She is needed in the village, she asserts, and must stay there to aid them through the colder months."

"As you command, I will be ready by sunrise."

The Captain hurried away in the blink of an eye and Sesshoumaru left for his own quarters to bathe and ready for his own journey to Edo.

…

The creak of floorboards echoed around the common room that glowed with the blaze of a cooking fire. Kagome was humming gently and gathering dishes as the cooking pot hung over the hearth, steaming with the promise of dinner. Shippou was writing at the low desk in the corner, asking a question every now and then, and his adoptive mother would point and explain the use of a character or fact.

A quiet, normal evening rolled by as dinner was finished, cleaned up, and the last light of day began to fade behind the hills. Kagome tucked the warm navy yukata beneath her knees and sat at the small desk in her bedroom to write in the journal she'd bought last winter. Her mother had been right: writing had been helpful both to sort her thoughts and heal her heart. The silly fantasies that had made her cry when the grief was still too powerful slowly evolved into the hopeful musings about her future as page after page helped her knit words into a new reality.

The long grasses covering the open field waved in a cool and telling autumn breeze. The rustle of limbs and leaves whispered through her favorite window: the one that faced the forest and away from the village. Kagome thought about the success of the day and wondered, hopefully, if the new initiate might really be capable of helping her forge real change in the relationship between youkai and humans in the future. Turning the brush back on her small journal, the miko continued recording the events of the day, adding the last wishes and thoughts to the quickly-filling pages.

Just as she turned away from the desk, replacing the book and brush to change into sleep clothes, a forceful pulse of now-familiar and undeniable youki burst into existence on the wide radar of her senses. Shippou was another minute realizing who it was, still so focused on his studies, but then his face split into a wide grin and he darted outside to wait excitedly.

"Momma, Sesshoumaru's coming!"

The young woman looked down at her haphazard state of dress, navy yukata barely tied and nearly exposed breasts, and began to dart around her bedroom, gathering necessities.

"Don't do this to me!" she whispered angrily to the inuyoukai who couldn't yet hear her.

A newer, brighter blue yukata replaced the worn one and a pale-yellow wrap quickly joined it. Running the silver brush roughly through her hair just a few times, Kagome dipped her feet into an old pair of black slippers before walking outside and freeing her own aura in what she hoped felt like a casual welcome.

Another minute and the small dot in the sky grew larger, the youki grew warmer, and she felt… excited. A chilled hand placed itself over her heart and she smiled.

_'Well, this is new.'_

…

The scents of livestock, hewn wood, and freshly turned earth all grew stronger as Sesshoumaru settled lower beneath the clouds to allow her to sense his approach. As he flew closer and veered farther east to avoid the village proper, the first traces of her scent met his nose on the wind. Nostrils flared, he inhaled deeper and the contentment he had craved since summer finally began to return. But atop the rain water and camelia scents, there was a biting sweetness of the fragrant yuzu.

_'She is nervous?'_ he wondered.

The inu was now more than familiar with the rapid changes in scent that surrounded this woman who was a walking contradiction of both unwavering duty and fiery defiance. He expected to encounter both during each visit with her. The short yelps of welcome from the kit echoed across the valley and his intended's gentle admonishment quickly followed.

"Not so loud, Shippou! The village families are probably already asleep."

"Sorry, Momma, but look!"

He pointed excitedly to the silver streak framed in luminescent green growing closer and closer.

"Wonder why he's come though?" she thought aloud.

"Who cares? He hasn't forgotten about us so that's something."

"I told you he wouldn't but he's busy and that's why I worry…"

Blades of dry grass and a few leaves were blown from his path as Sesshoumaru landed quietly in the browning field beside Kagome's house. Shippou was up and gone, halfway to the inudaiyoukai before his worried mother could stop him. She caught the inu's eye from across the field and sent up a gentle wave. He inclined his head, acknowledging her greeting, and then diverted his attention to the nearly vibrating kitsune at his feet as he began the slow walk to the house.

"I've been taking great care of her since you left, just like you told me we should. She won't let me do everything but I've done all the fishing, some of the cleaning, all my homework, and helped with everything else, too!"

The inudaiyoukai watched Kagome place a worried hand to her face and shake her head. Perhaps the kit had been as overly enthusiastic as he was now in his efforts to provide for his mother.

"I am certain your mother appreciates your initiative but a pack works together. All tasks should be evenly distributed. You have one role and she, another. It is our goal to grow stronger as a unit, not to render others idle."

The young kit's face fell and he stopped walking.

"Oh. So, I did it wrong, then?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head and continued walking. His sharp ears did not miss her heart pick up speed as he approached and a flash of gold in her direction warned the miko he was, in fact, paying close attention.

"Moderation in all things, Shippou." Kagome cut in, hugging herself against the chilled breeze. "Just like I tried to tell you-" Blue eyes flicked up happily to the approaching inu. "-but he wouldn't listen to me. Good evening, Sesshoumaru."

"Good evening, Kagome."

"To what do we owe the pleasure? Would you like to come inside?"

She gestured toward the house and Sesshoumaru stepped forward with a nod. Instead of simply passing by, however, the daiyoukai slid his open hand down her forearm, curled his fingers around her own, and waited. Her shy grin raised the apples of her cheeks as she returned his affection, clasping his hand in return. He took an experimental step forward, stepping forward with their hands still joined and waiting for her to follow. They fell in step for the short walk back to the house, punctuating the quiet of the evening with their crunching footfalls. Shippou darted past them both to scurry back inside and ready his homework to show Sesshoumaru.

"There are a few matters to discuss."

"Okay." Kagome said resolutely. If he was here with "matters to discuss," it was best to stay calm. "Be ready. Shippou is probably going to try to bombard you with all of his pictures and writing. But everyone in the West is okay? No problems?"

"Is that the cause of this pervasive nervousness? Your concern?"

"Well, we haven't seen you since summer so I'm worried something terrible is happening. Our trip here wasn't exactly uneventful and when you came to get Rin, you were in a hurry, too. Something about… what was it again?"

An index finger found her cheek in thought and he nearly sighed. Human memories were so prone to lapse.

He held the screen open as she passed him with a grateful smile and the scent of her nerves still dominated as he ducked down to enter the small house. Suddenly, Sesshoumaru felt out of place, in the way, in this modest house his brother had built. His future Mate bustled around, unconcerned, touching and gathering things as he stood in the center of the room, unsure what to do.

"The skirmish at the northwestern coast? Hardly trivial and required my immediate attention."

"And _that_ doesn't make me feel better, either. Would you like some tea?"

"Nor should it. Yes, tea would be welcome. There is no desperate, pressing matter. Calm your nerves."

When her shoulders visibly relaxed and the scent of yuzu no longer overpowered the wood fire, he was satisfied.

"Why was there a skirmish?" Kagome asked, gathering cups.

"The humans from the north press ever further into territory that has never been theirs. The barren mountains of my ancestral home are mostly inhospitable to them and yet, they try to establish coastal towns deeper and deeper into my territory."

"And what happened to them?" she asked calmly, pouring water from the bucket into the kettle.

"Whom?"

"The humans in this town you can't abide." she said bitingly.

The kettle joined the hearth and she stood to face him again.

"They were removed." She frowned and narrowed those impossibly crystalline eyes. Anger and sadness crept into her scent. "Relocated for their own safety further inland where fresh water and game are much more plentiful. And yet you seem concerned?"

"Uh oh…" Shippou watched the two adults bristle at each other with an armful of papers.

"Why not allow them to stay? Integrate this budding town into your future plans?"

"And concede more land and aggravation to ungrateful humans who would slaughter a messenger simply because they are too fearful of youkai to see reason?"

She was fully prepared to counter the "humans" statement but stopped short when his agitation seemed mostly due to the unnecessary loss of life and not the species by which the offending town was founded. Kagome gestured for him to sit by the fire on a cushion and she did the same as they waited for water to boil.

"Oh no… I'm so sorry. It wasn't Kouji was it?"

"No, the pheasant is not a messenger but the loss was a member of my house and that is enough."

"Wait, what? You told me he was!" she exclaimed.

"Here! My writing's gotten better since we were at the Palace."

Shippou chose that moment to all but shove the drawings and writing practice in Sesshoumaru's face to break the tension and, to his eternal credit, the daiyoukai merely blinked and accepted one for each hand before leaning around the kit to see the priestess again.

"He does write in his own time, is the archivist of the Palace, and serves as Rin's tutor in literature and calligraphy; but that is not his primary occupation." Sesshoumaru examined the first of Shippou's calligraphy efforts. "This character needs more practice. Swift and decided strokes. No curvature here."

"'Kay!" the kit beamed, running back to his room to replace these and grab more.

"Shippou, calm down! Kami in heaven…" She faced Sesshoumaru again. "When I sent Inaba back, I asked Kouji-san to deliver a letter for me! Why would you lie about that?"

"It was not a _lie_." he corrected. "The Lieutenant does deliver messages on occasion but only usually to my mother. Sensitive information about the covert assets of the West was not necessary to give you at the time. Our relationship was not as it is now."

Kagome felt the honesty of his admission warm her face and opened her mouth to ask him exactly what their relationship was now, but lost her nerve. There was time for that later.

"Oh. That's- well, that's good." the miko mused, pouring the boiled water into the teapot and sitting back to let it steep. "No harm done then since the letter was for Kikuko-sama anyway."

Sesshoumaru's head whipped around faster than she thought possible and he scowled fiercely even as her surprised giggle filled the air between them. Since the kitsune was busy in his own room, and he heard the sounds of frustration and rifling paper, the inu pressed further.

"You and my mother correspond? Why?"

"In about a year, she'll basically be my mother-in-law. It would be a **huge** oversight on my part not to extend an olive branch."

"Olive branch? Explain." he demanded with the accusing frown still in place.

"It means 'to offer peace.'" Kagome explained.

His coiled energy relaxed and she set to pouring tea which he gratefully accepted, still cautious but curious as well.

"Hm. Were this a human situation, I would applaud your foresight but my mother is notoriously unpredictable." He looked away from her and into the fire. "However, if you wished to tell This One of your exchange, you would have. Therefore, I must assume your intent was not to involve me."

"Are you _pouting_?"

"This Sesshoumaru does not _pout_, miko."

She took a moment to take in the new, needling pattern of his aura and his refusal to look her in the eye as he determinedly sipped his tea.

"You are!" she smiled gleefully.

Bored but now slightly amused golden eyes met hers again.

"This visit was not to discuss your inevitable failure to reconcile with my mother-"

"Kami, when you pout you really-"

"-but to **inform** you of two important matters. Stop grinning like a cat, Kagome, and listen. For the duration of autumn and winter, I am sending a guard to stay with you as I will be maintaining the West. The young Captain, Ren, was chosen for the task and will be joining you here tomorrow unless you have an objection."

"Captain? A guard? Wait." She scooted closer to him on the floor. "You won't be coming back until spring?"

He nearly preened at the compliment of her disappointment on the matter.

"Aww, why not?" Shippou asked, finally returning from his room with a yawn but new drawings all the same.

"The Cardinal Council meeting is in a few days' time, like last year, and we are resuming the annual tournament of heirs. Beyond that, most years, like this one, the General and his Mate separate and leave the West for the northern mountains and Southern Land, respectively, for the duration of the cold months and to safeguard their native territories while the heads of the clans are in the West. For all those reasons, I must remain."

"Oh." the pair said in disappointed chorus.

"Shippou, here's some tea and then it's time for bed."

"Aww, but Sesshoumaru's here and I'm not tired!"

"Your mother is correct and I can sense your weariness from here. We will meet again in the Spring."

"You'll be at school the whole time anyway, Ship. It'll fly by. I promise." she comforted.

"So long from now though…" Shippou complained, his tail limp on the floor as he drank the warm tea. "And why the spring?"

"She will tell you in the morning when a decision has been made."

"Make the right one then, Momma. You need to get out of here for a while."

The sudden, quiet fuming of the little kit over his tea made Sesshoumaru curious. Why should she be made to leave?

"That's enough of that." the miko scolded gently. "Finish that up and get to bed."

A few minutes of settling silence did wonders for their combined level of relaxation and inside ten minutes, Shippou was placing the empty tea cup in the wash basin.

"Guess I'll go to bed then. Come back if you can. I'm going to school to stay for the winter. I'm gonna master transformation this year!"

"Good night and safe travels, Shippou."

"G'night." the kit grumped.

"Good night, honey."

Once their own tea was finished and Shippou was tucked back into bed for the third time that evening, fighting sleep with a will even the inu could appreciate, Kagome sat down beside Sesshoumaru near the fire with the intent to tell him of her own need to leave sometime in the winter. Before she could, however, he started a new conversation.

"Why does the kit see a need for you to leave?"

"He worries too much."

"Does he?"

Kagome took another quiet sip of her tea.

"He hears the gossip all over the village about us, and any other youkai that have ever been here, and he worries. Most of the women never been interested in a relationship with me anyway. Still, they're civil even if we'll never be friends."

"Your son fears for your happiness or your safety?"

"Both, I guess. Superstitious humans have been known to… overreact. I don't see the need to confirm or deny their wild imaginings. Our relationship is none of their business."

"Perhaps you **should** join me in the West."

"I can't. I have a lot to do here and he's just nervous. I'm fine."

"If you are sure. Should you feel endangered, however, have the Captain bring you."

"I thought you didn't want me ordering your soldiers around." she said impishly.

"And you have obeyed my requests so well in the past." he grinned right back.

"Touché." she chuckled.

A still and reflective moment passed between them until Sesshoumaru remembered the second reason for his visit.

"Early in the spring, the chief healer and his intended will be hosting their Bonding ceremony at the Palace. I thought it appropriate you should attend as This Sesshoumaru's future Mate," he paused, watching her reaction, which was to freeze over her teacup, "as well as for your own benefit. You may learn much from the experience."

"How wonderful for them. I miss everyone there." Kagome tipped her head just slightly to the side, wondering. Testing. "Is that the only reason you want me to come? To learn?"

"No. The Palace will be your home. I would have you familiar with its function during events such as these. Understand fully that if you agree, you are attending as my future Mate and must behave thus. The Southern Lord and Lady will be in attendance as their territory is host to the herd of shikayoukai from which the female hails, and many other daiyoukai besides."

His declaration rang of duty and commitment but not of desire.

_'Guess that answers my question about where we stand then.'_

Wait, why was she so disappointed?

_'Focus, Kagome!'_

"Behave how?"

"Intended Mates are usually…" He thought for a moment. "…affectionate. Singular in their attentions. One would expect such a being to attend to their needs and prefer their company in the presence of many others. This event would be our first appearance as such and our guests' scrutiny may be less than kind in light of our differences. If you are not prepared for-"

"Done."

To his surprise, she nodded firmly and bored her deep blue eyes into his. If he wasn't going to push, she would use her twenty-first century woman's initiative and do it for them both.

"Done? So easily? Consideration is not required?"

"No, it's just I- Well, it's not so- I'd love to go and I do… prefer your company, if I'm honest. I'd rather spend time with you there than wonder what you're up to all alone."

"Hm." he rumbled thoughtfully, watching the first traces of frustration crinkle her eyes.

"I admit that I like you, want to spend more time with you, and I get a 'Hm'?"

"I admit my surprise. The event is a happy one but my concern was for your contentment. Ryota suggested you would be pleased to attend but it would be inappropriate to assume your desires. More than that, it does not escape me that autumn marks the anniversary of my brother's death. The timing of my request seems inappropriate."

"It's not inappropriate. I will always remember him, miss him on occasion, but Sango was right: Inuyasha wouldn't want us to feel guilty for being happy ever again. My friends and I are meeting at his grave to remember him tomorrow, actually. You're welcome to come… and," she paused, swirling the small swallow of tea left in her cup. "I saw the gravestone. Thank you for honoring him like you did."

"I am glad you approve but I cannot yet visit the grave again. Perhaps when more time has passed."

"Shippou won't go either." she said concerned. "Are our graves so different from yours?"

Amber eyes focused again on the embers in the hearth and just as Kagome opened her mouth to question him, his eyes squeezed shut and his jaw tightened as if he was forcing the words.

"Your unsealed graves are a curse to a sensitive nose."

Kagome pondered his meaning for a moment as Sesshoumaru opened his eyes again but did not look at her. Suddenly, she understood. Youkai senses could, indeed, be a curse if you could still scent a body in the ground.

"Oh, Sesshoumaru… I'm so sorry I brought you there. I didn't think…"

"You did not know. I am relieved you understand now. Explanation was needed but at the time… I could not give it. No grave should remain unmarked, however. It is dishonorable."

"I understand. I hated to leave it like that, too."

"Hm." The scent of Kagome's sadness prompted him to change the subject. "Do you wish to come to the Palace in the spring? Through the autumn, I have noted your level of comfort in the presence of so many youkai and considered you to be ready for such a function, if you wish it."

"I'm going to ignore the scholarly assessment and focus on the fact that you were thinking about me instead." When he didn't react, she asked more directly. "Were you?"

"Hm. Have you thought of your future in the West?" he questioned back, and Kagome nodded. "Then our consideration has been mutual."

"I'm glad, and yes, I would love to come." Her gentle smile was warm but bittersweet. A second later, she snapped her fingers, nearly dropping her tea. "Oh! I almost forgot. I would like to go home during the winter and see my family. Can you explain that to Ren somehow before he comes? I don't want to lie or try to circumvent him when I go."

"I will explain your need to him, then. I also received a letter from Katsurou that he wished to visit you sometime during the autumn. Be warned that Ryouzou will most likely accompany him as your village lies within their territory. If he comes during the autumn, I see no risk in your leaving during the winter. If they do not, it may be wiser to remain here until he makes an appearance."

"Oh. I suppose it can't be helped then. I'll stay until they come and send Ren back when I go. That way, you know I'm gone. I'll return three or four days later, most likely."

"Is your future safe enough to travel through in the winter?"

"Very. We have better clothes for the season, heaters, everything is different. I'll be fine. Oh! And ask the Captain to bring Kenshin's necklace if he'll part with it? I've been thinking about how to heal him and I want to experiment while the weather leaves me less busy."

"He may be healed? You can accomplish such a thing?"

"Maybe? I've been talking with Kaede about it and experimenting with plants with some success. No, I know he's not a plant. Don't give me that dubious look. I want to try, with his permission obviously, and once the snows get deep, we'll be stuck here in the valley. I have a mountain of other work I can do and now that Chisato's here, I'll be training her as well, but I'll have time to research while he's here."

"Your initiate is satisfactory then?"

"She is studious, quiet, and respectful." Kagome sighed.

"And yet you are disappointed?"

"She's just… My lessons in acceptance and cooperation with youkai are slow going with her. She's unbending when it comes to her opinions of 'lesser' beings."

"Lesser?" he snapped, eyes narrowed.

"Her words, not mine, obviously." The young woman turned on her seat and faced him fully, determination lighting her eyes. "I want to affect real change starting with her. This village will become one of the largest in the entire world in the future and if I can convince her that we all have a place, it might make a huge difference. I have to try."

He leaned forward, bracing one arm over a white-clad knee and she saw the first hint of a smile when one of his fangs flashed in the dark.

"This Sesshoumaru was correct, Kagome."

"About what?" she asked quietly, suddenly captivated by his casual masculinity.

"You have the makings of a politician." he grinned.

The spell of his handsome smile was instantly broken and she pursed her lips and frowned.

"Ugh. Take it back."

The miko chuckled then grew pensive again before turning her ocean eyes on him. A lock of hair caught her attention and she wound it around a finger, gathering courage.

"Can I ask- What am I…"

"Hm?" he rumbled.

"What am I supposed to do once we live with you? What's my job?"

"Job? You need an occupation aside from managing the household, governing our human allies, and acting as Mate to This One?"

"Wait a second. That's my role? You want me to do all of that? Trust me to manage your allies?"

"I cannot tell if you are overwhelmed or find the position lacking."

"That makes two of us, then." she chuckled nervously. "You've never told me before what a Lady of the West _does_. I know one thing, though: A woman in a position of power raises hackles with human men in this era."

"You will be accompanied during missions, of course, for your safety. You would prefer a lax and idle lifestyle like the human Ladies?" She shook her head animatedly. "Good. You are well suited to the task before you in the West. Much may indeed be changed in the coming years and it would be unwise not to place one with knowledge of the future in a position to lead."

For the second time in their acquaintance, Sesshoumaru leaned back, relaxed, on one arm and spoke as casually as any friend. It was a rare moment and she let herself enjoy the lack of tension in his angular face, the languid blink of golden eyes, and the lean muscle of his bare arm. If she was honest with herself, he was handsome. Attractive. When he spoke again, Kagome realized she enjoyed hearing him speak, as well. His tenor was purposeful and concise. He never wasted words and she enjoyed their conversations, rare though they were.

"More and more," he began, "I see that this punishment Katsurou imagined may be exactly the opposite."

"Maybe…" Kagome smiled gently at the fire. "One year at a time, though. I still can't see too far ahead yet."

The daiyoukai sat up and faced her.

"And yet you have seen more than even I. Our joined future is a mystery but over this last year, I have realized that it is ripe with possibility I would see fulfilled."

"That sounds… nice. I hope so, too."

"Then, not for the first time, we are in agreement."

Kagome felt they had once again navigated a conversation that could have been much more difficult without the aid of the foresight and patience that had grown slowly between them. As it was, two very different beings sat companionably by the hearth, still toeing the line between lovers and allies with neither one sure who was supposed to make the first move.

Tea was finished, dishes put away, and as the conversation lulled, Sesshoumaru remembered the General was still waiting on his return to leave the West. He rose from the hearth's edge and extended a hand to Kagome.

"Leaving?" she asked innocently.

"I must. Ryota is waiting to go north, and the Captain will be awaiting orders to journey here."

A small hand slid into his own and he gently lifted her from the floor. Neither released their hold as she walked him slowly to the door.

"Be careful going back. Send a letter or two if you can over the winter just so I know you're okay." she shrugged.

"I shall but save some concern for yourself. We have no way of knowing if or when your attacker will return. In fact, there have been no other attempts. Until he is caught, take care and stay alert."

"I will, I promise. Give Rin my love, too. Shippou misses having her here."

"I shall. She misses your company, as well." The inu straightened and the tone of authority smothered the relaxed tenor of the last hour. "You have command of the Captain while he is here. Use his time wisely and do not let him burden you unnecessarily."

"Thank you. Then, I guess, I'll see you in the spring?"

"Hm."

The young woman's hand grew lax in his own, preparing to release and leave him alone. The impulse to hold on to her warmth rose quickly and his long fingers grasped hers tighter. Surprised, perhaps hopeful, cerulean eyes flicked up to his face.

Though they stood only a breath apart in the doorway of the small house, Sesshoumaru took one step closer and her curious blue eyes met an iridescent golden stare that reflected the ambient light of the fire, reminding her once again that this man was not human but other.

He looked down at his own right hand, prompting her to do the same, and followed its progress through the air to cup her waist, asking without words. Kagome leaned experimentally into his warm palm and felt it glide across her ribs to her lower back. Her feet shuffled forward as he gently pressed their bodies closer together.

"Permit me?" he asked quietly.

She nodded and stared up at him, waiting. Sesshoumaru's silver head dipped down; his face so close to hers that silver hair fell innocently against her breasts as its owner pressed forward. Kagome felt the warmth of his cheek rub against her own and closed her eyes, savoring the innocent but intimate contact. He pressed his nose against her temple and inhaled quietly. Her scent filled him with thoughts of rain-drenched camelias wrapped in sweet wisteria that revealed her happiness and stroked his confidence.

"Winter will be long, I admit." he rumbled in her ear.

"Mmm hmm."

Swallowing her nerves, she tipped her head up and when the cool tip of her nose met his chin, he froze. Amber eyes grew wide as the soft skin of her cheek caressed his jaw from chin to the apex of his cheek. Sesshoumaru inhaled sharply and went rigid around her, his hands gripping her almost painfully tightly. He stilled completely above her insistent and gentle attempt to comfort him with the intimacies of his race.

She felt him shiver and watched those broad shoulders rise and fall with deep breaths. She laid her head against his heaving chest and listened to a beat within that sounded almost as rapid as her own. Her sideways view of his elegant haori was cut off by a curtain of pale hair and a warm cheek laid heavily against hers once again.

Confused amber met contented blue when he pulled away to look at his future Mate. Centuries had passed since the intimate touch of a female had warmed such a vulnerable patch of flesh. Just as many centuries had passed since he thought he would ever feel such a thrill again.

"Kagome…"

She saw the flash of his throat as he swallowed the desire and surprise she had caused.

"I'll miss you but… spring will come." she said quietly, blinking up him. "See you then, Sesshoumaru."

"Until then."

He took one step backward and turned slowly away. She watched his back retreat down the short path to the road but he stopped and turned around to take her in once more. His future Mate. The idea was becoming less daunting and more welcome with each encounter.

_'A human. A priestess. Never would I have thought…'_

She smiled with a warmth that cut through the chill in the air. Wild, wavy dark hair framing a delicate face with full lips and eyes the color of deep water, large enough to drown in. Her strength he knew well, but her touch was so gentle and warm. Her small hand rose in a wave, to which he managed a nod, then leapt into the sky to rocket away before she disarmed him completely.

It was impossible to stay, no matter how much he wished it in that moment.

Back inside the house, Kagome was unfolding her sleeping blankets and changing back into the navy sleeping yukata of earlier. The house felt especially lonely tonight. She closed her eyes as she sat on the large futon and drew the blanket over her lap. Looking to her right, she fingered the blanket there, spreading a palm over the grey wool. Caught in this moment, between the future and the past, sleep was slow to come.

…

The next morning…

Kagome sat in silence in the bed and watched the pale, long grasses in the field sway and straighten in the breeze. She remembered the now bittersweet feeling of moving swiftly through fields and forests nestled on top of a warm and sturdy back. A still-waking heart pounded in her chest as the memories began to burn in her eyes. Today would be hard.

_'What do you think of my life now? What would you say, or do, if you had been the one left behind?'_

Another moment of reflection passed with her hands folded atop the quilt, looking out the open window and sitting up in the bed they had shared, before her sadness began to feel more like self-pity than kind remembrance. Rising determinedly from the futon, she stretched stiff arms high overhead and began the day.

Before long, a cooking fire was glowing brightly under the cast iron pot as breakfast simmered away. Her mind jumped from this task to the next without pause: readying tea, pulling dishes out, breakfast made, dressing to begin the day… Anything but imagining what it would be like sitting in front of a cold gravestone with her friends this afternoon, trying not to curse the kami once again for robbing him of what had been a hard life from the start.

_'I said I had made peace with his death. Even today, I have to believe it.'_ She looked at the storage chest in the corner that held the Fire Rat robes. _'You knew it, too. You told me it was okay… and I can be okay for you and for myself.'_

…

That same morning, in the West…

The tall, intricately carved pillars at the entrance to the Palace were not fully lit beyond the shadow of the mountain when Sesshoumaru met Captain Ren at the gate. The young inu looked more ready for war than guard duty with his armor, weapons, and small pack of necessities slung over one shoulder. Ren's shoulder length silver hair was bound high above the shoulder plates of his dark leather scale armor. The set trailed down his body, covering vulnerable spots more heavily on his left side where the forearm and hand were missing.

The magenta three-quarter moon announcing his heritage was framed by thick bangs and sat above piercing and alert spring green eyes that found the elder inu immediately as his Lord approached. The younger inu bowed respectfully and a silver amulet fell forward from his haori.

"Reporting as commanded, my Lord, and ready to depart."

"Make haste on your journey but be alert. The enemy attacks with no youki, scent, or sound. Your assignment is not only to safeguard the miko but should the assassin or any villain appear, you are to hunt them without rest until capture or death. A prisoner to question is preferable but should the quarry prove too devious, a kill at your discretion is acceptable. Be warned also that Lord Katsurou and the steward of the East, Ryouzou, may visit to verify her continued presence and she is to remain unharmed, whatever occurs."

"They need only see her to verify the pact is still valid, correct?"

"Yes."

"I understand, Lord Sesshoumaru."

"Additionally, keep your ears alert when in the village and watch the humans for signs of rebellion or malcontent where she is concerned."

"Kagome-sama is in danger from the humans of her own village?"

"They seem to cast derision and suspicion toward individuals who fall outside the norm of their social behavior. A fear of the different. The miko faces a challenge in convincing the other humans that daiyoukai can be trusted. She has made it her occupation to convince them of our worthiness as allies. Aid her when you can. Your behavior has the ability to convince or harden them, both to her and the idea of cooperation."

"I will ask her, then, for guidance on my behavior while there, milord."

The great inu tipped his chin up and narrowed fierce golden eyes on the Captain.

"Lastly, Captain, I remind you to maintain a boundary of respect with the miko. Her familiarity with your company is one reason for your selection but do not let her disarming nature distract you from your post. The future Lady of the West needs your protection, not your friendship."

Ren swallowed thickly and bowed.

"Of course, my Lord. I will return and report when she leaves the village to visit her human family."

"Then you are dismissed. I will relieve you in the spring."

Ren bowed again, straightened his pack and crouched low on the bedrock walkway before taking off in a cloud of dust, verdant youki, and a fang-revealing, wide, and relieved smile.

"Much more and he might have pissed himself." came a deep voice from the shadows of the entryway.

"It was not my intent to intimidate but convey the seriousness of his task."

"Ah. My mistake, then." Ryota chuckled.

"But two things can be true at once, General. You are leaving?"

"My task is done, my orders given, and your errand run. I see no need to remain."

"The tournament will be less entertaining in your absence." Sesshoumaru admitted.

"Hardly! The Eastern heir will be fighting this year under his own power, you can assess the strength of that grandcub of Katsurou, and the kitsune champion is said to be a fierce presence. I am sad to miss it but my mother requests my presence to expand the caves this year in case my eldest brother's new Mate bears cubs. They are hopeful, at least, and my mother is not to be denied." The bear tipped his chin down and noted the calm in Sesshoumaru's aura, present since his return last night. "Perhaps, in so many years, you will have an heir of your own to participate instead of a General."

"Safe travels." Sesshoumaru said flatly, turning to walk away.

"Dream of blue eyes and a fiery spirit while I'm gone!" Ryota teased, leaping into the air.

"Run fast and far, Ryota!" the inu growled.

The bellowing laugh of the bear faded into the distance as he did.

…

The same morning, in Edo…

"Shippou, let's go! What are you doing in there?" Kagome called from the common room.

Small eruptions of his energetic youki had been raising the hair on her neck all morning since breakfast and curiosity was getting the better of her now. She dropped the bow and staff near the door and turned around to wrangle Shippou.

"Just a minute! I'm almost- _gah!_ -almost done."

"Done with what?" she asked quietly, craning her head to peek into his room.

"I'll show you later. Don't come in!" he barked, youkai ears hearing footsteps coming closer.

"Fine but I'm gonna be late for archery training with Chisato-chan. Meet me at the shrine when you're done with… whatever this is, okay?"

"Gotcha. See you later, Momma!"

Kagome couldn't help the grin that split her face hearing him refer to her so affectionately. The first time he had said it, at their wedding, Inuyasha had looked her with such love and appreciation during the ceremony, but the sideview of his honest smile as contented golden eyes followed the kit's leaps across the shrine yard had taken her breath away.

_'You knew exactly how he felt right then, didn't you? Suddenly, part of a family, loved and accepted. Both of you were mine to protect but I failed you when you needed me most. I will never fail someone I love ever again. No matter what it takes.'_

The list of loved ones was growing year by year, too. Sango, Miroku, and their children. Shippou and Rin and Kaede. Her own family in the future. Sesshoumaru…

Spending time in his home, in the Palace, Kagome realized how much could be lost if his progress solidifying the West and the human alliances were stilled. While he'd been vague about what exactly had happened in the future, Kagome shuddered to think of losing any of the youkai she had met to a madman. They had all been through that once before. The haunted eyes of a fully grown Shippou were motivation enough but combined with the many deaths Sesshoumaru had alluded to, her determination to change the outcome grew each time they met.

Thinking so long about her future brought her feet mechanically to the hill below the shrine. Before the first step upward was lifted from the dirt, Miroku called her from down the road.

"Good morning, Kagome-sama!" Miroku called, his usually bright smile stopped short of being genuine.

"Hey, Miroku. You have business at the shrine this morning? I'm training her today so I'll open everything up if you want to stay home."

"May I help you?" he asked, stepping closer.

"You mean 'hover protectively' and we both know it."

"My good intentions are transparent, it seems. However," he grinned shyly and stepped closer. "perhaps it is I who need your presence today, as well."

"Miroku… Of course, you're right. It's so easy to forget I'm not the only one who lost him." Her hand opened for his and he clasped it only to be tugged upward with her to the shrine. "Come on, let's get started. You can help by giving Chisato some of that militant instruction you shouted at me for months."

"And yet here you stand, stronger than ever, and taking the role from my willing hands."

"What doesn't kill you…" she shook her head, chuckling quietly.

…

Deep in the woods, wedged between the West and South, a river roared its descent over the edge of a high cliff. Water smashed against the rock below, misting the air and cloaking the entrance to a cave hidden behind the cascade that had been Tsuneyori's home for as long as he could remember.

"You are ready then?" Daichi asked, claws drumming impatiently on the wet rock.

The waterfall clattered behind him and cleverly hid sight, scent, and sound from their enemies as Daichi waited for the fruits of his labor to step forward.

"**_Are you convinced?_**" growled an answer in the ancient, primal youkai tongue.

The voice from the shadows materialized into an onyx fox the size of a massive bear with seven white-tipped tails dancing with pale golden orbs of youki. Crimson eyes trained on his father, the disguised Tsuneyori walked carefully forward. He was unused to the feeling of paws, having never been allowed to use his own. It was thrilling and new to be surrounded in youki. His father's charms worked well.

"Transform. They will spend more time on two legs than four."

A mist of crimson rose from the fox Tsuneyori's clawed feet and the male materialized from within, dressed in the same violet haori and black hakama he'd always worn.

"That scar…" The ancient kitsune clicked his tongue. "The pup is not aware of it, correct?"

Tsuneyori fingered the new pink flesh over his right cheek and shook his head. The miko's arrow had scarred him deeply but it was long since healed and there was nothing to be done about it now.

"Good. The eyes are different than his," Daichi appraised, "but it cannot be helped. No one who knows him will be there in any case. The youki borrowed from the charm will be foreign enough to deceive her..."

The ancient kitsune's eyes grew unfocused thinking of the vicious and lively female he had broken with but then shook himself free of the memory. She had bound him once, thought him hers, but the memories were all he allowed her to leave within him. That miko had done her job well cleansing the Bond entirely. Chinatsu's utility was nearing its end and she would suffer the same fate in due time.

He would not be tamed. Not settled in a village like a common beast waiting for a degrading death at human hands or old age. Youkai seemed to have all forgotten the feeling of enemy blood coating their throats and the exhilarating roars of victory over a fallen challenger. It was long past time to reclaim their dominance and rid the population of those weak souls who wanted eternal peace.

His current Mate now wanted the same dull existence but she had not always. Chinatsu had been wild, fierce, and unmerciful when he first sunk his fangs into her throat and Marked her as his. He allowed her to return the gesture, thinking this vixen might finally be his match. Over time, though, she grew calmer and more reserved. Old as she was, her eyes had seen humankind change from innocent beasts discovering life and its wonders, to staring pitifully at the overcomplicated and passionless lives they now made for themselves. Her sympathy for lesser beings made her tiresome and unfit to walk beside him. It was time to move on.

Youkai had warred for dominance since the beginning. War was not unnatural. To deny your nature and sit idly for millennia until death was unnatural. This new order of guarding the far corners of their territories like living statues was unnatural. When Daichi had engineered the first Four Points War, it seemed as if his plan to pit them against each other had worked until the upstart from the West allied himself with the holy humans and tipped the scale. The reynard never planned for youkai and human alliances. It had taken him four centuries of planning and traitorous whispers in the right ears but now the scale was about to tip again. These false Lords would all see how little they had changed when the first drops of blood fell.

"Change and bathe before you arrive. If they recognize you in any way, your life is forfeit."

Daichi tossed a sack at the younger male and shifted his weight onto one foot, appraising him with narrowed silver eyes.

"I remind you again: your mother will be there. You will not know her by appearance but by scent. It cannot be helped. Do not allow yourself to be distracted. The tournament, this winter, may be our last opportunity to single him out. After this year, that girl will be there during every event, at all times. He will be in the throes of the Bond, fiercer and more feral than ever should she come to harm. Do not fail, Tsuneyori."

"I will not, father."

"I have provided you with appropriate clothing and a new sword. The charm you **must** keep with you at all times."

Tsuneyori fingered the green, crystalline eye hidden in the folds of his haori.

"If it is destroyed like the last one, I shall return for another."

"No. There are no more until this litter is born and grown. I used the others during the Wars and you foolishly sent the last with your decoy. No matter. These kits will meet an unfortunate death just as their eldest siblings once I can arrange it. Keep that in mind should you continue to fail."

Tsuneyori swallowed and ignored the burning at his eyes. The quickest way out of this hell was to succeed. When the great inu lay dead, he would regain his youki when they forced the unprotected miko to break his father's Bond and the seal on his true self.

No other miko he had studied held such power and his father was intent on breaking her to serve them just as he had done during the Wars. The last miko his father had used, Sanayo, had fought admirably but ultimately served her purpose. First, though…

First, Sesshoumaru had to die.

"Yes, father."

"Hn. Meet Chinatsu in the forest when she calls. Hidekatsu is notoriously lazy. She will expect him to be asleep in the woods near sundown as usual. I will have killed him by then and you can begin your charade."

"Then, I leave alone for the West."

"Yes. Your skill should easily carry you through the tournament. When it is over, and your opponents lay dead, the Lands will scramble to claim new successors just like the humans they bow to." Daichi sneered.

"But you said heirs are no longer allowed to be executed during the tournament. I cannot kill them if-"

"Not during the tournament, Tsuneyori! **Think!**" the reynard yelled, then took a shaky breath before continuing with an air of patronizing calm. "Beat them hard in the arena and finish them later, after you kill the inu. Wait for the appropriate time and use the charm to duplicate your visage elsewhere while you are not cloaked. They will gather to celebrate the winner. Watch carefully and when Sesshoumaru leaves the feast, catch him alone and kill him. With the feast carrying on, the guests are less likely to notice. Without the charm active, no one will be able to smell or sense you."

"And if they do? Why not come with me? Why must I do this alone?"

"If you are found out, if you _fail_, return here. The newest kits and my Mate require attention, and I am away far too long as it is. You are strong and prepared for this task, my son." Daichi stepped over to Tsuneyori and took the kit's apprehensive face into his thin hands. "Accomplish what no other before you has dared."

Tsuneyori stood shocked as his father pulled him close in a rare show of affection. He froze with crimson eyes blown wide and just as the kit regained control of his limbs, reaching tentative hands toward his father's back, Daichi withdrew to the cave's entrance and left him alone once again.

"Now, go. Report when the tournament is over."

"Yes… father."

…

That afternoon, back in Edo…

Chisato dropped the bow from her cramped fingers and sunk heavily to the ground.

"How… can you fire… so many?" she panted.

"Practice, Chisato-chan. I practice just like you are now. Keep at it."

The young initiate looked down and flexed her raw hands. Deep brown eyes pleaded up at her teacher.

"I cannot hold the bow any longer much less fire!"

Kagome crossed her arms and frowned.

"Not with that attitude. Come on. Up. Give me five more."

"One! Perhaps, two."

"Ten, then." Kagome said firmly, Chisato sputtered, but an ebony brow rose in warning and the initiate stilled. "Keep it up and it'll be fifteen."

"Why is this so important? You are much more accomplished than I! Let me do those things which I am prepared for and you can fire as many arrows as you like."

"I may not always be here, Chisato-chan, and when- _if_ I'm not, it will be up to you. Miroku's skill is with his staff. His proficiency with a bow is okay at best and Kaede can hardly see beyond the shrine yard on a clear day. Don't tell her I said that, though. You said you have no interest in close combat so this is a perfect solution." The miko scooped up the bow that was much lighter than her own and held it out. "Lives may depend on your skill with **this** bow. Can you live with failure when you could be prepared?"

"No one and nothing has attacked this village since I came here. The time of youkai is nearly gone my father says. Though, he said it to diminish my choice at the time."

"He's wrong, and you're right to continue. Be as stubborn with that bow as you are about your choice to devote yourself and you'll be just fine."

The older miko's confidence in her ability was impressive.

_'So sure and strong in her convictions. Never a moment's doubt in her day.'_ Chisato marveled.

If Kagome-sama could show such faith in her potential, she could try to live up to it. The Shikon Miko was not ruthless against youkai, as the tales claimed, but her determination and raw power were a force to be reckoned with. If only she was not so sympathetic to youkai, Chisato might have devoted herself as Kagome-sama's disciple.

_'She still conceals her most honored title from me. I wonder why…'_

"Very well."

The initiate stood on shaky legs, wiped the sweat and grime from her hands on her hakama, and cautiously took the large, red lacquered bow from a much more calloused hand.

"Show me once more how my hand should be placed, please?"

"As many times as you need." Kagome smiled patiently.

…

The afternoon sun darkened with deep oranges and reds, casting long shadows over the shrine grounds. The last of the sweeping was done for the day and Kagome leaned her back against wall of the warm wood, hugging the broom and delaying the last task of the day.

_'Can't put it off anymore or we'll lose the light.'_

"Miroku?" Kagome called from the porch, looking around for his familiar robes.

His head appeared through the doorway of the small shed several yards away and she chuckled to herself.

"Yes?"

"Help me shut these doors and then let's… let's go get Sango and the kids."

Walking from the shed to the shrine, he vaulted up onto the porch and understood her meaning. It was time.

"Very well." he nodded.

His violet eyes fell to the floor and he turned around to acquiesce, sliding the first wide shoji door closed with a snap, scaring himself. The work was quiet as each of them silently reflected between tasks.

Miroku thought of the first impressions he'd had of Inuyasha and an indecently dressed young miko, who both shouted too loudly and possessed a will to fiercely protect total strangers from injustice.

_'The oddest pair I had ever laid eyes on.'_ he thought warmly. _'And the most clueless. Never have I met lovers less aware of themselves than you two.'_

He turned around to watch Kagome reach high to tug at a door, frowning at her work, silently preparing herself just as he was.

_'You would be proud of her, Inuyasha. I had my doubts but she has found her own path forward. Your legacy is her compassion for everyone, no matter their origins. Without you, we would not know her now and I thank the kami we do.'_

"Miroku?"

Startlingly concerned blue eyes were suddenly only a few feet away, boring into his own.

"I am fine." he grinned shallowly. "Shall we?"

"Okay."

Kagome picked up a small basket near the door and looped an arm through its small handle. She laid one hand against the outside, hugging it to her body, as they made their way out into the twilight. The pair walked quietly to the edge of the stairs, ready to descend, but Sango's dark hair and warm, brown eyes met them first as she materialized above the hill, one step at a time.

"I thought perhaps it was getting late." Sango greeted. "Shippou sent this to you, Kagome-chan," she held out a basket when they met her near the top, "but he would not join me- Satomi, up now- Shizuka, go to your father- and he would not tell me why."

Kagome accepted the basket with her thanks and explained.

"He doesn't like visiting the grave," she tapped her nose, "and that's okay. That basket probably has the mysterious project he was working on this morning and refused to show me. Where is he now?"

"Asleep in the children's room. He must have exhausted himself somehow. I never thought about his sense of smell. How terrible for him."

"I'll go get him on the way home, then. Sesshoumaru explained it to me when he was here and I'm glad he did."

"Sesshoumaru-sama was here? When?"

"Last night. He needed-"

"Kagome!" Sango said, shocked.

"Get your mind out out of the gutter, Sango-chan! He just needed to tell me he'd be gone all winter."

"Hello, my love." Miroku greeted, lifting the twins in his arms and resting his forehead against Sango's with a deep breath and a sad smile. "So defensive, is she not? Shall we?"

"Hi, Gome-bachan!" Satomi greeted brightly.

"Hello, Satomi-chan. I'm glad you came today."

Kagome lead the way to the rear of the small graveyard and placed her small basket and Shippou's larger one on the ground next to the pillar of dark stone that marked Inuyasha's grave.

As he reached the grave, Miroku stopped for a moment and sighed, placing the children on the ground. He knelt down and reverently touched the stone, still warm from the sun. Kagome knelt beside him and prepared the incense from her small basket, lighting it with ease and arranging it on the small altar. Miroku did the same and they both knelt properly with their heads bowed, sending their love and well wishes to the kami to guide him.

"Now, let's see what Shippou took all day making." Kagome dug into the basket he'd sent and chuckled sadly when she found it. "Oh, Ship…"

"What is it?" Sango asked curiously.

"He made an offering for Inuyasha."

Kagome held up a near-perfect imitation of the instant noodle cups she had brought them all many times during the quest. He had even hand-drawn what he could remember of the garish labels. Miroku laughed aloud and Sango smacked him on the arm, thinking it inappropriate. Kagome placed the cup on the altar and sat back on her knees again.

"Oh, my friend, what a hole you left here in our lives. I hope you are at peace wherever you are." Miroku said somberly.

"Indeed, he did." said Sango from behind. "He asked me to stay when I was ready to fight alone. I will always thank him in my heart for that."

She balanced their youngest son on her hip as the twins held hands beside her. Miroku took a step back and put an arm around his wife and a hand on his nearest daughter's shoulder.

"As will I." Miroku squeezed her shoulder a little tighter.

"Uncle Inu is really gone, huh Daddy?" said Shizuka, looking up at her father.

"Yes, my love, he is." He knelt down in front of the twins. "Would you like to say a prayer and wish him well on his journey?"

"Yes!"

Two sets of tiny hands clapped loudly and folded in prayer for a moment.

Kagome looked at the family standing next to her and smiled contentedly. She had feared today, dreaded it, but now that they were here, her heart felt only peace. Over the last year, she had cried out her sadness, raged at the injustice of his death, and worked hard to find a new way forward. As she recalled the year behind, death had once again tried to take her, more than once, but she had beat it back with the help of friends, old and new. She had been terrified that Inuyasha would see her die. Now, she prayed that he would watch her live.

And so the evening passed as what remained of the Inutachi talked about their past, laughed with bittersweet tears in their eyes, and prayed; all fondly remembering the person that brought them together.

…

**AN:** I'm still here! Still writing and still motivated, but now that school is in, updates will have to happen when they happen. Feel free to send me a message anytime. If it isn't obvious, even with the impending sequel anime coming next month, we're gonna plow ahead here like it doesn't exist. To all of my guest reviewers, I see you and appreciate your comments even if I can't respond! As always, thanks for reading! Next time: Ren comes to stay, three daiyoukai come to visit Edo, and the tournament of heirs is underway!


	32. Chapter 32 - Separation:Year 1:Autumn 2

**Author's Note:** I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

...

**Reconciliation**

**Chapter 32 – The Separation: Year 1: Autumn: Part II**

The next morning…

"Shippou! Time to get up! I have rounds this morning, kiddo!"

Kagome shook her head again, shrugged the navy yukata tighter around herself, and stepped lazily out of the house toward the well out back to draw water for the day. A wide yawn interrupted her half-hearted tugging on the rope and she ran her fingers through dark bangs with a sigh.

_'I'll grab Chisato and we can make our way through the village to check on all of the elders before I do some hunting this afternoon. Gotta start preparing for winter earlier this year to keep us fed.'_

Hazy memories of last winter's depression surfaced but she shook them off and grabbed the water-laden bucket with a grunt. Suddenly, all thinking stopped as a low, reverberating growl from around the front of the house fully woke her sleep-muddled brain. Startled, the miko clapped a hand over her mouth to stop the surprised yelp from escaping as her blue eyes pinned to the front corner of the house. A mass of white fur draped up onto the porch and out into the side yard and it was breathing deeply in between growls.

Silently as she could, Kagome crouched and set the bucket on the ground while casting a net with her reiki to find out who, or _what_, was stalking her home. The static prickling of youki answered her probing and she was immediately on high alert.

_'Definitely youkai… and powerful but I can't tell **what** it is.'_

She crept back inside the house to peek in on Shippou, who was still sleeping soundly despite her yelling, and then quietly palmed her staff from its resting place on the pegs above the door. Lifting the bamboo screen with one steel tip, blue eyes blinked at the sudden bright light as the growling resumed once more.

Quietly sticking her head out of the front door, Kagome took in the odd sight of a huge white dog with its head resting on her porch next to a knapsack of some kind. It had a massive paw slung over its face to block the morning light that flexed with gleaming, ivory claws as she stepped forward. The rest of the massive youkai trailed away from the house and Kagome could make out a large, fluffy tail over its sleek back.

"A wolf?" she whispered to herself.

_'No… not a wolf. It sort of looks like Sesshoumaru but smaller…'_

Her eyes landed on the fluffy, triangular ears atop its head and her heart clenched. The beast slept on as she inspected it, pert ears twitching occasionally as a fly or sound disturbed it's clearly needed and deep sleep. The growl resumed and Kagome realized the wolf-dog was _snoring_.

_'What **are** you?'_

The youki felt vaguely familiar, as if she had encountered its like before, but this energy felt primal and unpredictable. Its aura swirled around the beast even in sleep, warning lesser beings away. The answer was there, in her mind, but she couldn't place it after being caught so unaware.

_'What demon in their right mind takes a nap on a miko's front porch?'_

The beast twitched, grumbling, and yawned widely revealing a mouthful of pointed ivory teeth. It stretched like a cat in the sun, paws lengthening toward her beyond the long snout and white, twitching nose. Pale green eyes blinked slowly open above a startlingly fuchsia facial marking Kagome could see now that its paw had moved. She watched warily as the wolf-dog looked first at her feet, then her staff, and finally into her steel blue eyes which narrowed in warning.

"I don't know who you are or why you're here, but you should nap somewhere else, demon."

Its answer was a low growl as it stood on large paws and ducked its head under the overhang until its huge, green eyes were even with her own.

"This is your last warning. Go on, now." The miko jerked her head. "Back into the woods with you."

She pointed the tip of a staff at its nose and the beast shifted its curious gaze down to the weapon, and back up to her scowling face. With a growling yip, the wolf-dog turned its head, snatched the rod from her hands between ivory fangs, and took off running across the field at a lolloping pace with its bushy, white tail waving happily in the air. Kagome was so caught off guard that her mouth hung open, glancing down at her empty hands and processing the missing staff in contrast to the grinning youkai in the field.

"The hell? He- Hey! You drop that right now!"

The priestess took off from the porch at a run, barefoot, and the wolf-dog looked back over its shoulder to find her catching up quickly. She was within arm's reach of its tail before a burst of speed left her stomping mad several yards behind.

"Drop it, dammit! If I have to get my bow, you're gonna regret it!"

The beast circled around the field, avoiding her shoeless and clumsy attempts to corral it. Finally, she simply stood still and called her power.

"Okay then. Have it your way!" she yelled.

An ice blue barrier erupted in thin air over the giant wolf-dog and pinned it to the ground. The beast's eyes blew wide and it dropped the staff and whined before aiming a panicked bark at her. Too late though because Kagome shrunk the barrier by half, forcing the wolf-dog down to the ground.

"Now **stay**!" she yelled, stomping over to the barrier.

A swirl of neon green flashed within the barrier and Kagome readied an orb of reiki in her hand, prepared to fight the stranger off since whoever it was didn't seem keen on leaving.

"Now let's see why you're really here…"

When the angry priestess stopped and crept forward, however, all she found amidst the tall, dying grass was uncontrollable laughter and the dark shadow of an armor-clad person rolling on the ground. The laughing daiyoukai rose and brushed the weeds from its armor. She saw white hair fluffed and tangled and woven with grass, intricate armor, and an impressive sword befitting a…

"Captain?"

The young inudaiyoukai beamed at her, fangs flashing and spring green eyes still sparkling with laughter. He stood tall, intending to greet her properly, before doubling over again at the sight of her: barefoot and red-faced, arm cocked back with an orb of reiki ready to pummel him, and her mouth hung open in shock and disbelief. What's more, her yukata was nearly untied and coming dangerously close to revealing what he could easily tell were cold and unbound breasts. Ren covered his eyes to preserve what little modesty she had left and was lost to another fit of laughter.

"I am- _Ah ha!_ I am sorry, Kagome-sama, but you were so honestly unaware and it has been ages since I had any real fun!"

"Ren?" she asked again, releasing the orb to diffuse into the air and dropping her hand. "What in the seven hells were you doing asleep on my porch? And what are you doing with your hand?"

"Drop this barrier, my Lady, and I shall report for duty as I have been commanded… once you see to your state of dress, that is."

"The state of my…" Kagome's eyes curiously angled down and the bared miko yelped in embarrassment. "Son of a bitch!"

The barrier disappeared immediately in a shower of icy flecks. Ren turned away to give her some privacy while he picked the remaining grass from his armor and waited.

"In most cases, you would be correct," the Captain chuckled, still turned away, "however, my mother was human, as you well know."

"Oh, shut up." She finished closing the navy-blue yukata once more and tapped him on the shoulder. "You can turn around now. I had forgotten you were coming. Sesshoumaru told me last night to look for you but he never told me when. I didn't recognize you like that."

"So quickly forgotten, am I?" the young inu frowned, adjusting his sword and glancing playfully over at her.

"No, but I've never seen you all…" She swirled a hand in the air, "transformed? Your aura didn't feel right."

"Everything about us changes in our true forms. Scent," he stepped closer, shaking his shoulder length, silver hair into place, "appearance, our youki… Even our appetites." he winked.

"Still like chewing on sticks, though." she grumbled, crossing her arms then holding out a delicate hand. "While we're at it, I'll take my staff back, thank you."

"She tells me to 'sit' and now to 'fetch'…" he lamented. "I am not a common dog, Kagome-sama."

"Sleeping outside, playing with sticks, rolling in the grass? Could've fooled me, Captain." Kagome giggled. "Now that you've made your dramatic entrance, come on back to the house. I have to get Shippou up and ready for breakfast before I start rounds for the day and I'm already late. Have you eaten?"

"I have." He nodded respectfully. "I hunted on my way then thought it best not to wake you when I arrived in the early hours of the morning. I patrolled the perimeter for several hours but found nothing of import, and then decided to wait by your door for you to wake. Your forest is so beautiful that I lingered longer than I should have."

"Inuyasha loved it, too." Ren watched her eyes soften and the miko stopped to gaze lovingly into the shadows between the trees, almost as if she expected someone to come walking out. A sigh escaped and she looked back up at him. "That's why he built our house out here, as close as we could get without leaving the village."

"A wise man." Ren nodded.

"He was. Not everyone could see it." Kagome smiled gently and her guest smiled back.

Ren then stepped back, raised his chin, and snapped to attention.

"Now, as is required of my post, I formally introduce myself as Ren, first Captain of the Western ground forces, and your personal guard, my Lady, until my Lord relieves me in the spring of next year. I apologize for my lateness and submit myself to your command, Kagome-sama."

His accompanying bow was deep and sincere. He was a man of honor and despite his antics only moments ago, she supposed he intended to take this guard duty as seriously as he had the last time. She mentally hoped this one went much more smoothly for both of their sakes.

"I thank you for your protection and your service, Captain. Now, formalities notwithstanding, move your ass. I have lots of work to do today." Kagome turned around set off across the field toward the house, leaving Ren to follow. "So, what are you supposed to do while you're here? Surely, you don't want to just follow me around all day."

His carefree eyes hardened and scanned the forest's edge before focusing on her back once again. The air was free of unfamiliar scents and Ren's casual stride lengthened to catch up to the human already many yards ahead of him.

"When you are working, I will patrol the perimeter of the village as I did last night. I am aware that the humans are not so receptive to daiyoukai company and I wish not to cause you trouble."

"Too late for that, I'm afraid. The gossip is rampant since Sesshoumaru's last visit."

"My Lord said the same. I am sorry for it. If my behavior can in any way aid our case, do not hesitate to correct me. When you are free, I would prefer to remain within striking distance but if you are uncomfortable, I can alter my strategy."

"So formal, Ren… Relax. In the whole time I've been back here, I haven't caught wind of anything dangerous. Well," she chuckled, "more dangerous than an inu napping on my porch."

"I cannot, milady. When Sesshoumaru-sama recounted your attack, I was surprised to hear of the foul magic they employed. I have not encountered such a thing before. If you are ever in doubt of the identity of even familiar humans, you must tell me at once. Youkai, I can sense well enough, but humans as a species are still mostly a mystery."

"Prepare for a crash course then. We have all sorts here. You can't change your appearance, can you?"

"How? My bestial form, you mean?"

"No, to look more human? Less 'noble daiyoukai' and more 'unassuming mortal'?"

He scoffed. "I would sooner lose my other arm than disguise myself, Kagome-sama. To ask such a thing is an insult to both my heritage and my pride in it."

"May I remind you, as you just did to me, that half of your heritage is human, _Captain_? Don't insult _our_ heritage."

Ren froze and bowed deeply.

"I apologize, my Lady, if I have offended you!"

"Oh, stop it. Just- Just don't pretend with me, okay? Be proud of her, Ren. I'm sure your mother did everything she could for you. Don't dishonor her, either."

"I suppose I am… so used to hiding it now that it is a reflex to deny it." Ren grinned sadly. "Maybe, staying here will educate me on those parts of my heritage I have missed. Thank you, Kagome-sama, for reminding me."

Kagome nodded and crossed the threshold of the small house. A second late, she surprised him by shouting loudly in the small common room.

"Shippou! Up now, little man!"

Ren took in the modest house with a guarded curiosity while Kagome busied herself at the prep table. The dwelling was so simple, so plain, and yet its occupant was anything but. This woman had freed the Lord of the East, bested him in training, and adapted herself to wearing kimono worth more than her entire village in less than a week in the West. Yet here she stood, in a simple yukata, cooking a simple breakfast over a common hearth and humming happily as she did it.

_'She moves nearly effortlessly between two vastly different worlds. How unlike all of the humans I have ever met. Was my mother the same, I wonder?'_

He truly hadn't considered it before. There was a time when Sanayo had battled in the Four Points Wars alongside his father and the Western Army as a group but she had never spoken of her life before that. Ren could remember his mother's pale golden hair, beautiful face and green eyes, her laugh, and the way her loving aura had surrounded he and his brother in the few short years they had with her before her death.

Here with Kagome, he could sense the same care and attention in her movements and it drew a deep ache from the pit of his stomach. Something like longing and heartache lodged itself in his chest as he watched her. The inu swallowed thickly and pressed on.

"Shippou-chan lives here with you then?"

"Yep. When he's not at school. And you live with Kenshin, don't you?"

"Yes," Ren sighed deeply, "and I am so relieved, and much happier, to be away from both he and his intended."

"Oh no." she called over her shoulder with an air of sympathy. "That bad, huh? I had some girlfriends that became impossible to be around in the first few months with a new man."

"My brother has never acted in such a way in our entire lives! If I have to endure one more conversation about clothing or Bonding arrangements, I might very well move to the woods. And the noise! All hours of the day and night, he- My Lady, forgive me, but even daiyoukai have to breathe. However, Ken's face is so often locked to hers or buried between her le-"

"**Good morning, Shippou!**" Kagome interrupted him with a knowing jerk of her head to her kit's door.

Ren merely snorted a laugh and stepped away to sit near the hearth, out of the way.

"Mornin', Momma. I heard voices. M'roku here?" he said, lazily scrubbing at his face.

Shippou pulled his small, pale yellow yukata closed and leaned back to comb his clawed fingers through his sleep-mussed and unruly auburn hair. Kagome grinned at the gesture, so similar to Inuyasha's.

"I have never been confused for a human male before but I suppose there is always a first time, young Shippou."

Emerald eyes flew open and he grinned widely, scampering over to the kneeling Captain.

"Ren!"

"Hello, Shippou-chan." Ren said warmly, fluffing the kit's hair. "You have grown in the last year!"

"Hm. It's all my traveling and hard work." the kit said proudly. "That and she feeds me right." He jerked a thumb back at Kagome who giggled and nodded with her hip propped against the prep table.

"My cooking's not so bad, if I say so myself."

"And I'll be training like you next year!" Shippou continued excitedly. "Sesshoumaru said he's gonna teach me once we move."

"Has he now? My Lord trained my brother and me as well, beginning only a handful of years older than you are now. Be warned: he is a fierce and demanding master-" Ren said seriously.

Kagome felt the breath leave her lungs as the memory surfaced of the future Sesshoumaru's praise of the accomplished warrior Shippou had become.

_"He is a master in his own right…"_

_The glint of twin blades in the morning sun of the shrine courtyard._

"-but you will be equally fierce when he is through with you." Ren continued.

_The battle-hardened, emotionless look in her son's eyes. His piercing, emerald gaze narrowed above the angrily clenched jaw that once held the carefree smiles she was used to._

"My Lord does nothing without purpose and if he asks it of you, it is best. Always remember that, Shippou-chan."

_Golden eyes, lit with hope and desperation, bore into hers from the end of a welled and worn couch. The scent of cypress and lavender fill her nose, amplified by the heat of the room and his nearness. He's close enough to touch her but refrains out of respect for the vast emotional distance between them._

_"We **must** forge a deeper Bond, first and foremost, if the future is to be changed."_

_The colors of her daydream warm with the safe, comforting embrace of strong arms, shoving away the cold and loneliness that had been her constant companions since autumn. Searing amber eyes gaze down into hers that are, at this moment in time, so full of life and purpose but will become almost unrecognizably dulled by pain and sadness if she fails._

Suddenly the future and the past connected. Shippou was talking about the training he _would_ receive from Sesshoumaru. The training that led him to six tails, two swords, and a reunion at the bottom of the well that nearly broke her heart for the second time that year.

The sound of a shattering bowl caused two youkai heads to whip around. Kagome hugged herself against the chilling realization that she was still very much on her own to alter the tragic future of the West. Shippou and Ren exchanged looks as the scent of salt permeated the air a moment later.

"Kagome-sama?" Ren asked, concerned.

Shippou was up and over to her, leaping first to the table and then placing both hands on the miko's arm as she hugged herself.

"I'm- I'm sorry. I'm okay. Just forgot what I was doing for a second."

Shippou wouldn't smell a lie because it was the truth. She _had_ forgotten entirely in the last few months that there was a life or death war coming, and she had better be prepared for it. In the future, Sesshoumaru had remembered her place in their shared timeline for centuries, and waited patiently for his chance to make things right. Remembering her task, the miko felt guilty for her lapse in focus. She had all winter now to train. The eyes of the inu Captain were fixed on her face, curious about her lapse in dexterity. She caught sight of his sword by the door and began to wonder.

_'Maybe I can convince Ren to train with me again…'_

Come the spring, Sesshoumaru would come for her, to begin their public life as an intended pair. The memory of him reclining by the hearth warmed her heart. His face was so at ease, his eyes so open and unguarded as he teased her for the ambitious ideas that were so like his own.

But there was so much this Sesshoumaru didn't know. So much she could protect him from if only she had the strength. Her resolve and determination grew exponentially in that moment. It was time to get back to work. Whatever opportunities presented themselves, whatever information about the movements of their enemies she could learn, she would do it.

Kagome would stand proudly at his side, strong and ready, no matter what awaited them.

…

Later that morning…

The coal black eyes of the Southern phoenix Lord blinked rapidly with curiosity, his head ticking this way and that as birds do. Fushijirou beat his flame-wreathed wings faster to catch sight of the vast mountain range that guarded the West. Ancient onyx eyes watched as a massive silver inuyoukai below clawed its way to the peak that loomed over the Western Fortress. Seconds later, youki sizzled through the air and the celestial bird shivered midflight as a skull-rattling howl echoed between the mountains and down through the valley.

The Lord of the South and his brilliant Mate dropped from the sky in front of the Palace gates, clawed feet skidding in the gravel as the two birds beat their massive wings faster to slow down. Golden flames burst into life around Fushijirou as he transformed, and Samidori's pheasant form melted away in a flurry of crimson feathers to reveal beautiful emerald hair, vermilion eyes, and pale skin wrapped in an elegant ivory kimono.

"By the Sun, what is Sesshoumaru thinking?" scowled Fushijirou, shaking his shock of wavy, golden hair in disappointment. "He will alert half the island to our gathering."

"And this concerns you?" Samidori asked gently, crimson eyes lit with amusement as she walked to his side.

"Kouji was nervous for the proceedings this year based on the attacks on both the Palace and its Lord, and I trust my son. Hardly seems appropriate to draw attention to us. This meeting is waste enough."

"The Lord of the West is more aware than we are of the situation and you brought the Eiderclaw, beloved. Have no fear."

Fushijirou glanced over his shoulder at the gleaming, golden polearm strapped comfortably onto his tanned back. At the base of the blade, a golden tuft of feathers flitted in the breeze and a stone the color of blood pulsed like the beating of a heart.

"At your insistence. I wish I had not. Ietsuna will ask once again to use it during the trials."

"And it will protect him then as it has protected you for centuries."

"No. This blade has seen enough blood for this lifetime. Let us hope we are able to get him, get all of us, away should the worst happen."

"It will not." she soothed. "Sesshoumaru keeps what is his."

"Let us hope." came a stern voice from the doors of the Palace.

Lady Kikuko raised her chin as she approached. Her long silver hair lay across her back, unbound and undulating gracefully in the constant mountain breeze. A voluminous ivory pelt lay draped around pale, exposed shoulders. Her resplendent kimono was a shimmering, deep indigo patterned with embroidery of a pond illuminated by a crescent moon.

"Welcome, Lord and Lady of the South. Your journey was uneventful?"

"Pleasantly." Fushijirou nodded, inclining his head.

"Your children and new grandpups? All well?"

"All well. The chicks are a joy," Samidori said smiling, "and I am pleased to hope we shall have more in the coming years."

"How wonderful for you." Kikuko said flatly, plucking some imaginary dirt from her kimono sleeve. "Shall we get you settled? The meeting will proceed on schedule this evening and then tomorrow, we start the tournament. I admit I missed it last year. Livened up this dull, dusty Palace."

"That loss was so sudden," the Lady of the South balked. "It was appropriate to cancel, Kikuko."

"The past is past." the inuyoukai dismissed. "Now, since you are the first to arrive, you have your choice of rooms. Follow me."

The small group walked lazily between the gargantuan columns at the entrance to the central hallway of the Palace. Fushijirou considered the snarling ivory carvings of silver inu that ringed the dark stone pillars as the three noble youkai passed beneath them. Their steps echoed lightly through the cavernous room, and servants scattered in and out of side entrances trying to avoid being seen or addressed.

"Why was Sesshoumaru bellowing above?" the phoenix asked.

"Ah, that. He is… issuing orders from afar. Now come."

"How is your son's intended Mate?" Samidori asked innocently. "Well I hope?"

"She is well, I hear. I have yet to see her again. Sesshoumaru is making his preparations for her arrival next year, however. Going out of his way, I should say." The Lady Mother clicked her tongue. "Human needs are so troublesome."

"They are going forward with this odd Mating then?" Fushijirou asked with an air of detachment.

"It cannot be helped. My son has agreed, and he is nothing if not steadfast and honorable." Kikuko said proudly.

"His honor is to be applauded, then. A lesser male might kill her and be done with it."

"Mate," the pheasant frowned, "you are speaking of the death of the future Lady of the West. Have a care."

"Oh, I care not." Kikuko dismissed. "Sesshoumaru knows her life is short and soon enough, he will be able to find a true lifelong Mate and restore our house properly. His dalliance with both of his pet human females will come to an end in the blink of an eye and then order can be restored."

"And what of these attacks my son recounted?" the phoenix asked. "Disturbing to think the old kitsune magic is in use once again."

"Pardon?" Kikuko asked, rounding on the couple with her eyes narrowed.

"Kouji said that Sesshoumaru reported a doppelganger that could speak and react with no scent or youki of its own, and a charm that dissolved as he touched it. The only beings I have known to employ such a tactic were ancient kitsune but that is old magic even by This One's estimation. Touga once said he encountered such abominations during the great Wars but I have not heard of its use since then. There was a small army of them back then, I believe. Gave us much trouble on the Southern front."

"Kouji often divulges matters of Western security, does he?" the inudaiyoukai asked sharply.

"Only when he wisely questions his honored father for the ancient knowledge he possesses." Samidori replied warily.

"Hn." Kikuko muttered, appeased. "See to it that you keep discussions of this matter between you. We are still waiting for the ambitious fool to show himself."

Fushijirou stopped walking in thought, gleaming black claws sliding over his smooth chin. He grunted behind the two females, causing them to stop and watch him. His open black kimono settled around his bare feet as his dark eyes narrowed in consideration.

"The timing of this worries me as well, Kikuko. Your son is on the precipice of his first Bonding, whispers of doubt and old prejudice plague the humans and the youkai near them, and the reappearance of forgotten kitsune magic…"

Kikuko continued walking and waited for them at the corner between the infirmary and the long overhang leading to the guest quarters.

"And a powerful priestess has appeared on the wrong side of the battle, singled out by Katsurou, Lord of the same territory that once housed your greatest enemy."

"You are drawing dangerous parallels, Fushijirou." Kikuko lilted. She had had the same thought more than once but felt relieved that the similarities were not going unnoticed.

"The Four Points Wars were not so long ago. You were not yet in power then, Kikuko. Touga had yet to fully conquer his territory and take you as a Mate when the Wars were started. You cannot deny the coincidences seem too unlikely."

"Then it is fortuitous that my son has wisely sought alliances with your great house, Lord of the South." Kikuko said cheerily. "I would not be your enemy. I enjoy these talks too much to meet you on a battlefield. The conversation there is always so bawdy and uncivilized."

Fushijirou laughed loudly and shook his effortlessly wavy hair, dispelling the tension in their conversation. The crimson marquis in his brow flashed in the morning light.

"No, dear Kikuko, I would not meet you on the battlefield again if it could be helped."

"Then we are in agreement. Should these echoes of unrest grow louder, we will maintain our alliances and prevent such losses ever again."

"If we lost more of our chicks again…" Samidori shook her head sadly. "I cannot bear the thought when our numbers grow so small already."

"Be still, beloved." Fushijirou crooned, gathering her in his arms. "It will not be so."

Kikuko continued walking as the couple embraced in the abandoned hallway. No, it would never be so again. Her son was working toward the peace he wanted, away from the humans' interference, and that slip of a woman he was forced to Mate may very well be the key to his long-term success. Sesshoumaru had wisely recognized such already and, though she was loath to admit it, perhaps it was for the best as this fragile peace developed.

Kikuko raised her chin in defiance of the depressing future the miko had described in her letter.

_'I will never allow my son to bear such a pitiful existence. His simple cure of changing the past may be the most direct way but then again, subterfuge was never one of his strengths. He inherited his mother's fine looks but his father's subtlety, poor pup.'_

Her plan solidified then and there to visit this Kagome during the winter when she would most surely be in that human village of hers. There was a simple way to ascertain the truth of the holy woman's words and Sesshoumaru need never know the horrible possibilities should he fail in the coming years.

_'What fun we shall have, little miko, as you tell me all of your secrets…'_

…

At the same time, in Edo…

The road was littered with fallen leaves that skittered up and down the packed dirt road. The villagers nearby were warily watching the odd couple walk through town as they worked through morning chores. Kagome warmly greeted anyone who came close enough to make eye contact and Ren stayed well back with his head down, trying not to bring attention to himself.

"Their house is just up the road. There." Kagome pointed out.

Ren lifted his chin to see the plain thatched roof of the monk and retired taijiya's modest house. The indigo cloak he wore to cover his striking and unusual features slid back, the hood dropped to his shoulders, but he tugged it quickly forward. Kagome sent him an apologetic look but he was too focused on the entirely average house beyond.

"And it was they who trained you in combat and archery?"

"Yep. Well, I learned archery on my own but I was still pretty terrible. Sango and Kaede helped me out a lot. They all whipped me into shape for months before I left to find Inuyasha."

"Impressive. Would they be willing to meet with me? I have so many questions for the taijiya and monk who trained the great Shikon Miko." he said playfully.

"I feel like you're making fun of me, Captain."

"Hardly." he scoffed. "No, your story may be the most interesting I have ever heard in my three hundred years."

"I'm sure they'd love to meet you. They loved Inuyasha. They have three small kids now so I try not to bother them too much but I'll ask if we meet Miroku at the shrine."

"Excellent."

Ren looked out over the empty fields with gathering piles of leaves hung here and there on the empty furrows.

"And the humans farm all of this land to feed themselves with different plants from season to season?"

"Yes." Kagome giggled at his oversimplification. "Without farms, humans would never be able to congregate like this in larger and larger villages. It takes lots of hands and lots of food to keep so many of us fed. It's a hard life but it has its benefits, too."

"I imagine. When do these busy farmers find time for betterment or higher learning?"

"They don't, for the most part." she said sadly, playing with the tuft of hair at the end of her long braid.

"How awful."

A strong, easterly breeze lifted her sleeves and sent the wide legs of her hakama fluttering around her ankles as she stared out into the open and barren fields. Ren suddenly froze, lifted his nose and scented the air as Kagome continued their conversation.

"Very little leisure time and very little play in their-"

"Wait. Quiet!" Ren commanded, cupping his right ear.

"What are you-"

"Shh!" he scowled.

The Captain tipped his right ear up and Kagome watched his nose twitch as he instinctively sniffed for evidence of whatever his youkai ears had heard. Her breaths came faster and the fear of an incoming attack gripped her heart as Ren stood like a statue and listened. Finally, he dropped his hand and looked at her.

"Remain here. I will return presently."

"No, wait-" she tried, reaching for him.

Before Kagome could blink, Ren was gone and leaving a trail of swirling leaves in his wake through the empty fields as he dashed out of town. The miko stomped her slipper in the dirt in frustration.

"Dammit, Ren! Youkai and their stupid, speedy-"

"Who is Ren?" Sango asked from behind her distracted friend.

"_Ah!_ Kami, Sango-chan…" Kagome gasped, laying a hand over her heart. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Sango chuckled beside her. "I did not mean to, Kagome-chan, but you were very focused. Now, who is Ren?"

"He's- uh… Well he's my bodyguard. An inudaiyoukai from the West. He arrived last night so I haven't had a chance to tell you guys yet. Ren is my full-time watchdog until spring, courtesy of Sesshoumaru, and he just told me to hush and then sprinted like a bat out of hell somewhere over that way." she growled, pointing across the field. "He wants to meet you, by the way."

"Me? How does a soldier of Sesshoumaru know of my existence?" Sango asked, confused.

"_Because_," the miko said impishly, "he wanted to know who taught me to knock him on his rear."

"You defeated a daiyoukai in combat?"

"Just sparring," she shrugged, "and try to sound _less_ surprised. It was fun and educational right up to the moment he skewered me…" Kagome pointed at her right side, then laughed nervously and palmed the back of her head as Sango's eyes went wide.

"He gave you that scar?" her friend gaped. "You told me that soldier was a Captain the Western army. Why would Sesshoumaru send a Captain of his army to sit in a human village all winter? Kagome, why is he really here? This doesn't make sense."

"Fine," the miko sighed, glancing nervously over at her friend, "just… just don't get mad."

Telling Sango about the attackers in the West and the second attack during the journey from the kitsune village was a good distraction from the worry that clawed at her gut every minute Ren was gone. He had given her no clues about the reason for his hasty disappearance. Was he tracking an assassin? Was he fighting for his life all alone right now?

When Kagome was finished with the whole sordid story, Sango looked both ready to slap and hug her at the same time.

"You should have told us!"

"What good would it do? You have your own problems to work out, and children to raise, and I didn't want to add to your worries."

"Kagome, wherever you go and whatever you do, we will always care about you. If a youkai assassin comes here, looking for you, we would want to help."

"No! This is exactly why I didn't tell you. You have your own lives to worry about. I'm- I'm just me. If something happened to you now, I'd never forgive myself for robbing your children of a parent. Don't get involved in this. That's why Ren's here: to protect me and help when I need it."

"No, that is what friends are for, Kagome-chan, and do not forget it."

"Fine, you win. I'll call you the second an evil youkai assassin rears its head. Satisfied?"

"No, you will not."

"No. I won't. I'm glad we understand each other."

"Stubborn woman." Sango glared.

Kagome let out an unladylike snort and pointed first at Sango, then herself.

"Pot. Kettle."

Kagome surprised her friend by sticking out her tongue, grinning widely, and the memories and mutual comfort developed in their long time as friends smothered their mutual frustration.

Sango wanted to help but Kagome was right: she was no longer free to run away and fight for her life. And Kagome wanted to handle this alone, prove to herself that she could, but knew help would be welcome, maybe even required, should her enemy come around again. So, the two women stood together in the road, knowing life could never be as it once was, but supporting each other now in the only ways they could.

…

Standing atop the nearest hill west of Edo, Ren stood impossibly still with his pale green eyes closed and listened as Sesshoumaru howled his message for the Captain to translate. After several minutes of mentally noting every booming tone, the valley was silent. Ren nodded firmly but the concern was knit into his brow and the firm clench of his jaw.

"Very well then, milord. I shall tell her." he said quietly, disappearing in a burst of speed.

Several miles passed beneath his feet in a matter of seconds and soon enough, the village was back in sight. As he sped through the woods surrounding, her scent met him on the wind and his direction changed without conscious thought, chasing it through the trees. Following his nose and his instincts, he felt drawn to following its promising and comforting trail. Kagome's distant relieved and welcoming smile as she spoke to another woman made him stumble on a split-rail fence at the edge of town.

"**_Shit!_**"

It took a long leap forward to right himself again and Ren cursed, amused, at his lapse in attention.

_'You're not a pup in your first heat, idiot. Focus!'_

He was still chuckling to himself when he skidded to halt in front of Sango's house, prepared to greet her and relay the message. He had no sooner opened his mouth when her anger sizzled in his nose; the intensity of the shishito pepper spicing the air and causing him to flinch.

"There you are, you jerk! Don't leave like that again! I thought you were off fighting without me and then I realized you didn't have your armor on and- _Argh!_ Just don't do that again!"

Her azure eyes reflected his stunned look. The angry flush of her cheeks and rigid, threatening posture roused his instincts to submit to this Alpha female. To soothe her worries and promise never to repeat such an action again. He nearly whined as she chastised him in the street like a mother would her wayward pup. He forced his head to remain upright instead of baring his throat to her, and swallowed thickly past his instinctual need to apologize.

"I am-" he stuttered, "I am sorry to have worried you, my Lady, but I return with a message from Lord Sesshoumaru."

"Oh." she said, quieting. "Wow. I knew you were fast but to the Western Palace and back?"

"Your confidence in my agility is flattering but no. You did not hear the howls on the wind just now?"

Kagome shook her head and her dark bangs settled above those sparkling, ocean eyes. A large curled lock of inky hair broke free of her braid and temptingly caressed her face. His hand twitched at his side, consciously stopping himself from tucking it away, but he forgot about relaying Sesshoumaru's message as a waking dream stilled him.

_The entire dark mass of her wild hair, freed and carelessly fanned beneath her as she struggled to catch her breath, pale breasts heaving, abused lips swollen and pink. Her delicate features flushed with the heat of their-_

"…en? Ren? Earth to Captain Ren?"

A small hand entered his field of vision and snapped loudly just beyond his nose. Spring green eyes blinked rapidly to clear the daydream from his mind. Damn it, where had that come from? And why was the autumn sun suddenly so hot?

"Hey. Are you okay?" Concerned cerulean eyes bored into his, shifting from eye to eye, assessing him with a healer's skill.

Her caring scrutiny caused his heart to hammer in his chest and the Captain took a necessary deep breath and a step back.

_'What is happening to me?'_

"Apologies, my Lady." he bowed, out of respect but also so she wouldn't focus on the flush of heat he could still feel in his cheeks. "I return with a message from Lord Sesshoumaru."

"You said that already." she said curiously. "What did he have to say?"

"In a moment. You have a guest, Kagome-sama."

Ren jerked his head over at Sango who stood there bewildered as her friend chatted away with an armed daiyoukai like they were old friends. What's more, the power he held in his young body was enough for even Sango to sense from several feet away.

"Oh, right." Kagome stepped aside and gestured to her bodyguard. "Sango-chan, meet Captain Ren of the Western Army."

"Ah! Greetings, honorable Sango-sensei!" Ren bowed enthusiastically. "I have heard great tales of your teachings."

Deep brown eyes regarded the newcomer with suspicion and a warrior's eye. The Captain knew he was being appraised by a professional and Ren didn't miss the calm stroke of her hand across her obi for what he was sure was a hidden blade.

"Is he joking, Kagome? I cannot tell."

"No, he's dead serious. Apparently, when I beat him twice in a row," Kagome grinned, causing Ren to choke on his tongue, "he decided a human slayer was worth meeting."

"You did not _beat_ me. You won two sparring rounds and I was prepared to continue until we had a better measure of each other's skills until I- until I nearly killed you, that is."

"It wasn't your fault. We've covered that. He's right, I suppose."

"I would speak more with you and your accomplished Mate if you can spare the time." Ren continued.

"Right now?"

"No, we have work to do at the shrine and it is getting **late**!" Kagome grumbled, tapping her foot.

"At your leisure, Sango-sensei. I will maintain guard over Kagome-sama through the spring when my Lord comes to retrieve her."

"Retrieve you?" Sango asked.

"Mm. Ren's brother is getting married and Sesshoumaru thinks it's a good chance for me to see what I'm up against."

"My brother is hosting his Bonding ceremony, my Lady. Quite different. And Sesshoumaru-sama is not putting you 'up against' anything. Each ceremony is unique to the packs that host it. Tomomi has been more than informative on the matter in the last several months." he shuddered.

"Then **you** can teach me what you know in our free time. Oh! And what did Sesshoumaru have to say?"

"Ah, yes. My Lord bids me tell you that he is well, the Cardinal Council meeting will begin this evening, and the tournament begins tomorrow to continue until the last contest is won." Ren's verdant eyes narrowed seriously as he continued. "He also warned that the Lord of the North is diverting his path to verify your presence before making his way to the West."

"You heard _all of that_ in howls on the wind?" Kagome asked curiously.

"In so many words. If my Lord meant something other than what I have told you, I cannot say. It would be more accurate to say I interpret to the best of my ability based on my familiarity with your situation, Sesshoumaru-sama's usual pattern of speech, and my own interpretation. Our ancient language is not as descriptive as your modern tongue but I have confidence in my accuracy this time."

"**More** daiyoukai are coming here to see you, Kagome-chan?"

The anxious concern in Sango's voice made Kagome flinch, remembering her friend was standing right behind them and incapable of missing the details of the conversation.

"Thanks a lot, Ren. Yes, Sango-chan. The Lord of the North, Katsurou-sama, and I'm assuming Ryouzou-san as well?"

"Again," Ren began, "milord's instructions were not specific but I would assume so. If he comes, it is to keep Katsurou-sama in line, I am sure. You **did** make quite an impression on the East, my Lady."

Ignoring the Captain's praise entirely, Sango laid a hand on the miko's shoulder, turning her around.

"Kagome, didn't you say the Lord of the North is the one who forced you to agree to this marriage?"

"He is, and Sesshoumaru warned me that he might come here. I'll meet him outside of town and keep him well away from the village. Ren can give me notice when he comes into range," looking over her left shoulder, Kagome locked eyes with the wary Captain, "right?"

"I see no reason why not. I will widen my perimeter checks until they arrive."

"There? See? They won't hurt me, Sango-chan. He only needs to see that I haven't disappeared."

"Sometimes I wonder if you should, Kagome-chan…"

"I can't." Kagome said quickly.

"Why not? We wish every day for your happiness but this marriage you agreed to grows more and more complicated with every passing season. You are involving yourself in matters that could have impacts north, south, east, and west; and in worlds of both humans and youkai. Why **not** just leave? Go back home and live the life you want."

"And if this is the life I want?"

Her friend's brown eyes hardened.

"The life you _wanted_ was with-"

Sango stopped the words and looked away in frustration, even though Kagome could easily guess what they were.

"With Inuyasha? It was. You're right. But that life is over, Sango, and… it hurts but I need to move forward. If that means finding my own path through a sea of daiyoukai to have my voice heard, to feel valued, to make a real difference; then **this** is the life I want. This is the harder road than going back to what's familiar and safe but if I can change-" The miko stopped, thinking, and looked up at the clouding sky then into the concerned brown eyes of her friend. "If I can make them all see that we are worth the aggravation for a better and more cooperative future, I have to try. I don't want to leave you and your family either and I'll still be able to visit if I stay on **this** side of the well."

"Kagome-chan, I did not mean to-" Sango glanced at Ren, who was doing his best to appear detached and unaware of the awkward conversation by examining a strap of his armor. "Come to dinner. We can talk more there. I am sorry to have lost control of my frustration."

"I understand. I can't explain everything right now but I promise I know what I'm doing. Please." Kagome grabbed both of Sango's hands in her own. "Please. Trust me."

"I do, Kagome. If you say this is the way it must be, then I believe you. Captain Ren, you are welcome to come as well. I would know the soldier Sesshoumaru-sama personally assigned to handle Kagome."

"Wha- Handle?"

"It would be my pleasure, Sango-sensei. I look forward to it."

Kagome scoffed at Ren's casual bow and agreement. His impish grin flashed as pale green eyes met hers. He expected the glow of amused and incensed sapphire eyes as he rose, but her withering look and tightly crossed arms were simply endearing. Instead of correcting him, the miko turned on her heel and continued their walk up the road and into town. The inudaiyoukai chuckled to himself and fell in line several feet behind her.

"Nothing? Not even a little denial?" she called over a shoulder. "You're not here to 'handle' me, Ren."

The Captain stopped short in the middle of the road, indigo cloak wrapping his legs. His charge didn't notice the sudden flush of his pale face or the quick jerk of his cloaked head to the side lest she could see his embarrassment. Unaware, Kagome continued walking toward the shrine in a huff.

_'I am not; she is right. Then… why this ache in my chest? Why do I feel compelled to deny it?'_

"Admit it. You just needed an excuse to get away from your brother. Oh, word of warning: my initiate is more than a little wary of youkai and she may have some unkind things to say before we can settle her down. Don't take it personally and do **_not_**, whatever happens, retaliate."

He latched on to the change of subject, determined to sort out these sudden and disruptive feelings later, and took a deep breath before jogging to catch up to her.

"You wish me to simply stand immobile while this untrained priestess of yours hurls insults or worse?"

"Yep. She's young and inexperienced. You may be the first daiyoukai she has ever met so it's up to you to show her how you intend to interact with humans. We're continuing archery practice today and she's still grasping the basics so no derogatory comments, please."

Ren watched Kagome watching him and grasped his chin in thought.

"My patience is not legendary, but I will endeavor to try."

"Thank you, o' benevolent Captain. Now let's get moving." the miko chuckled. "It's not often Shippou beats me to the shrine in the morning…"

_'And I have work to do.'_

…

Late in the evening, Ren held the door screen open as Shippou ran out between his boots, and Kagome ducked out of Sango and Miroku's house with a cheerful smile, a full stomach, and a peace in her aura that he had never witnessed. The sun was shrinking behind the hills to the west and the fading light was a spectrum of pale yellows and burnt oranges painted across the high clouds. He followed the miko away from the house, keeping a safe distance behind. The Captain's right hand rested firmly on the pommel of the sword at his belt.

"Good night, everyone," Kagome waved, smiling, "and I'll see you tomorrow!"

Miroku waved back from the doorway and Sango appeared behind him, holding Komori on her hip and smiling contentedly.

"Good night, Kagome-sama, Shippou." the monk called. "And Captain? Keep an eye on her for us."

"Both eyes. I will endeavor to keep her safe from evil and also, I now know, from herself."

"Hey, wait a second!" the miko protested, ebony hair whipping around to gape at Miroku who left the doorway with a hearty laugh. Ren heard him recount the statement to his wife inside who also chuckled warmly and replied "I am glad he knows."

"That was uncalled for." Kagome scowled.

"Was it?" the inu grinned behind her. "You nearly purified Sesshoumaru-sama with your terrible aim!"

"Hey! She's worked really hard since then!" Shippou chastised. "She only missed a few really critical shots back then!"

"Thanks? Anyway, he would've been fine. He caught the arrow, didn't he? Besides, I was practically a kid! They conveniently forgot to mention that Kaede put a bow in my hand and expected me to just figure it out! What was I supposed to do?"

"And you never sought a master?"

"Who had the time? Between sch- between my family obligations and our never-ending hunts, there was never time to stop and focus on much besides sewing us up and scraping a meal together before we were up and gone again. Mastering a bow was at the bottom of my list until that moment in almost every battle when I wished it wasn't. I think, back then, I was just moving from minute to minute without a plan, just hoping we would live through it all."

"And you did." Ren said.

"We did." she said proudly, looking down at Shippou who smiled right back.

Crickets chirped in the dark forest to their right beyond the dirt road and a breeze whispered across the road as they walked quietly back to Kagome's house, all lost in thought.

"So, did my accomplished teachers meet all of your exaggerated expectations?"

"Hm. Without a doubt. I was amazed, to say the least. They- All of you accomplished so much with so narrow a margin of victory."

"Ha! I guess that's true. At the time, though, it was never a question of whether we would, but we all knew we had to. Even Sesshoumaru lost a few fights back then."

"Yeah, he lost his arm then tried to use Naraku… Tsk, tsk." Shippou shook his head in mock disappointment. "I'm glad he came to his senses before it was over."

"Hm." the Captain nodded. "I remember the uproar in the West when he returned with an absent arm, smelling of a human girl. The talk was less than kind."

Kagome dropped back to walk beside him with her hands clasped behind her back.

"I know _how_ it happened, obviously, but after… Now, that's a story I've never heard. What happened?"

"Tell us!" the kitsune bounded to Ren's shoulder and waited, tail flicking excitedly.

"Very well." he chuckled, ruffling the kit's hair. "I was not privy to the details but only the gossip. His return was brief, he spoke with no one, but was seen changing his ruined clothes by one of the servants and then it was all over. Since he smelled of them when he returned, it was assumed the maiming was done by humans. The imp, Jaken, screamed his defenses from dawn to dusk but in the end, nothing could be done. Challenges for my Lord's title and territory poured in from all corners. Ours is not a society of mercy," Ren said with a side glance, "or it was not in the past. Sesshoumaru-sama beat them all back while leaving regularly to hunt for Naraku."

"I never thought about that before. I guess I'd be jaded, too, if I had to deal with all of that and losing an arm, too." Kagome gasped and looked over at her bodyguard, who grinned with understanding acceptance. "Oh, Ren. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."

"But now that you have, my mother's pendant weighs heavily on my conscience. Have you made any progress in your research?"

"I would love to say yes, but I have no one to ask. The best I can offer is that I have an understanding of rebuilding organisms when they are injured. By that I mean, I've successfully regrown tree limbs in my free time."

"And she's really good at it." Shippou added.

"That is hardly-"

"I know but it isn't as if I have living subjects to practice on."

"You very easily could." Ren said with a serious frown.

"I won't help you if you go around tearing limbs from innocent animals. No, if we're going to do this-"

"Shh!"

Ren's silver head tipped straight up into the sky and his pale green eyes went wide.

"Your reiki, Kagome! **Call it now!**"

"Shippou, here! Now!"

Without a word, the kitsune jumped down from Ren's shoulder, dashed between her legs, and hunkered down. In the next second, Kagome crouched, spread her arms wide, and a barrier shielded them all as Ren drew his sword and kept narrowed eyes fixed on the twilight above, head ticking left and right for the first sight of their enemy.

"What is it?" she whispered.

"We have company. Youkai, but I need more information. Release me and then protect yourself. I will return."

"You'd better!" Shippou barked.

The barrier melted away and Ren leapt into the air, climbing higher than her human gaze could track him through the wispy autumn clouds. Cerulean eyes sparkled with concern and anxiety as she searched the sky for the Captain's return.

"Where'd he go?" the young kitsune asked from the dirt.

"I dunno… Damn it, Ren."

A few moments later, her shoulders slumped in relief when he reappeared through the cloud cover and landed down the road, jogging toward her with a concerned look.

"Three daiyoukai approaching from the northeast. The Lord of the North, I recognize. Two others," he sniffed the air, "I am less sure of. They are still beyond the first hill to the east."

"He's just here to see me, right? Why do you look so worried?"

"You sound more sure than I am, my Lady, and until I am certain of his intentions, I respectfully request you maintain your barrier."

"No. If it** is** them, we need to get as far away as we can from the village before they find me. Shippou, I want you to go back to Sango and Miroku's house, tell them what's going on and to stay there, and I'll come get you when our guests are gone. Ren, this way!"

The barrier disappeared and Kagome vaulted over the split rail fence to her right, sprinting into the woods. Ren stood in the middle of the road with his nervous gaze shifting from the sky to the woods.

"Ka- Kagome! My Lady, wait!" Ren sheathed his sword and silently planned. "Dammit…"

"Best do as she says, Ren. Keep her safe, okay?"

"Of course, young Shippou. Stay safe as well."

Her son nodded and bounded back the way they'd come. The young inudaiyoukai shifted his focus back to the darkening forest. The sounds of her slippers crunching through the leaves was fading and he shook his head before leaping from the road high into the air while scanning the ground for her. She was halfway between the village and the river when he landed nearby and began jogging beside her.

"Warn me, my Lady, before running away!"

"If you can't track one human through the woods on a clear evening, Sesshoumaru sent the wrong soldier!" she chuckled, still running through the black bands of shadowy trees.

Ren barked a laugh and skidded to a halt as they reached the river. Kagome was another step behind but walked out of the shadows of the forest plucking leaves from her hair with a sigh.

"Are they here yet?"

"Momentarily. Be on guard. I will not hesitate to remove you from their reach if the situation changes."

Kagome nodded, faced the river, and called her power, beckoning their guests directly to her and away from the village. The blazing youki of Katsurou was bearing down on them and the others… Her face split into a wide smile.

"It's Kouhei!" the miko beamed.

"Who?" Ren asked, still focused on the sky.

"Kouhei, the Eastern heir. Then the other must be Ryouzou."

"Ah, that makes sense. And Kouhei-sama is the Lord of the East now. Well," the Captain sheathed his sword, "let us hope they all come in peace. That dragon Lord's uncle is a force I would rather not reckon with."

"He just wants to protect Kouhei. I can appreciate that. You said Ryouzou would probably come to keep Katsurou in line. You were right."

"And yet you sound surprised." His grin disappeared as he cast his eyes skyward again. "Here they come. I am with you, no matter what happens. Do not act rashly."

Kagome nodded and shivered as Katsurou burst through the cloud cover above at the epicenter of a spider web of crackling electricity. Thunder roared from the shockwave as the unnatural lightning spread and discharged to the ground. From her place in the grass, even Kagome could see the glint of his black plate armor and the similar black mass of his wild and bushy mane. A roar echoed from the sky and within several seconds, the proud and unpredictable Lord of the North slammed into the forest floor nearby, shaking leaves from the trees all around them.

Ren took two large steps back to stand behind her right shoulder. Kagome simply stood taller with her back straight and waited. Let Katsurou be offended. He hadn't earned her respect or her trust, regardless of his position or power. If the trick in the clouds was supposed to impress her, she had several of her own she could show him.

Ren scented the first waves of spicy pepper spiraling around Kagome and grinned in the curtain of his silver hair.

_'Oh, my Lord, you may regret coming here today.'_

Before her anger reached inappropriate levels, another roar echoed from behind the clouds. Ren's voice rose from behind her.

"It is indeed Lord Kouhei and his retainer, Ryouzou, of the East, my Lady."

"Thank you." she said curtly, steel blue eyes fixed on the forest where Katsurou would appear.

The proud toradaiyoukai of the North strode from the shadows with an overly friendly grin and his arms thrown wide. The dark mane of his hair was pushed back by a golden band that shined in sharp contrast to his tanned skin and dark hair. Onyx plates of made of a collection of wicked sharp angles trailed his chest and legs down to bare feet. A long, black steel scythe rested across his back and she could sense youki from within it that was dwarfed by his own expansive aura. Katsurou's golden eyes gleamed a pale citrine and his narrow pupils were focused entirely on the human woman standing proudly before him.

Kagome raised her chin and stared right back. It took conscious effort not to squirm or fidget but this was not the time to show weakness or be distracted. The Captain bowed low beside her and straightened, completely unnoticed by the tiger Lord.

"Ah, little miko. You are a human of your word."

"I presume you're here to make sure I haven't run away?"

"You presume correctly." His fangs flashed as his mirthless grin remained. "My punishment for the pup means nothing if the promised miko has run away."

"I am not **just** a priestess, Katsurou-sama, and there are many others like me."

"You are the only holy woman I need know of. The only one I need to extract justice and I am glad to find you well."

"You diverted your journey to the West just to see me?"

"Hm. Your presence here is confirmation you intend to take your promise as seriously as I take my punishment."

"I would never betray Sesshoumaru or a promise made to him. As long as Rin's life is in question, I will go through with this marriage."

"A female of honor. I am surprised to find such in a miko. I assumed I would need to search long and hard for such a one to bind him."

"A priestess? Any miko to Mate Sesshoumaru? That was your plan from the beginning?"

"Hm. For what would humiliate Sesshoumaru more than to Mate our most hated modern enemy? And a human, at that. The suggestion was a good one but I had no idea that you would already be acquainted. A strange twist of fate, indeed."

_'Suggestion? Someone else suggested forcing Sesshoumaru to marry a priestess? Why? Shippou said that Sesshoumaru got bad advice from someone, too, that led to the battle in the Palace that changed everything. If someone else is pulling the strings all over, I need to know who.'_

"What suggestion?"

Katsurou recognized her sudden interest and tipped his chin up with a knowing smile.

"Ah, a story for another time, I believe."

Kagome opened her mouth to question him further when another powerful youki disrupted the air, and the stoic and emotionless visage of Ryouzou appeared silently as a shadow on the other side of the river. His thigh-length black hair was woven in a complex tail at his back and hung heavily over the sky blue, high-necked robes he wore. Silver slippers that matched his mercurial eyes covered feet that took long strides closer to the edge of the river. One leap brought him gracefully to the other side where he stood, disinterested, several steps behind the Lord of the North.

"Ryouzou-san," Kagome nodded, "I am glad to see you well."

His shimmering silver eyes closed and he silently bowed his head.

"May I also present the Lord of the East, Kouhei. Heir to the Umbral Tide and tamer of the Blue Island."*

A blue streak leapt out from the forest to her right, where Ryouzou had appeared, and suddenly she was face to face with a toned, pale, and naked chest framed with pearlescent silk. When the newcomer turned his head to speak to Ryouzou, a wave of deep ocean blue hair fell over his shoulder and while he spoke, Kagome was trying her hardest not to gawk at the expanse of muscular flesh right before her eyes.

"Uncle, those titles were hardly necessary."

"Neither was quelling that volcano but you insisted."

"Families of humans and youkai alike live there, and none of them powerful enough to stop the eruption in time."

"As you say."

Pale silver orbs grabbed her attention from above and he smiled, so genuine and warm, that she was smiling back purely out of comfort and ease. A silver circlet set with a large moonstone rested above his brow, and it seemed to swim like water as he tipped his head down to greet her.

"Hello again, Lady Kagome."

"Hello, Kouhei… sama. Is that really you?"

He chuckled and held out an open palm.

"It is. So much has happened, so much has changed, since last we met."

She grasped it, intending to shake, but he gently turned it instead to place his lips against the back of her hand.

"Kouhei, what…?"

"A conversation for another day but I would like the chance to speak with you after the tournament."

"I'll be here, but is everything okay?"

"I hope that it may be. May I visit you again when the tournament is over?"

"Of course. We'll both be here."

"'We'?"

Kagome stepped to the side and gestured to the inudaiyoukai to her right.

"Ren-taii is here with me through the winter."

"Captain Ren?" the dragon Lord blinked. "Of the West?"

The inu Captain stepped forward from behind her and bowed stiffly.

"Yes, my Lord Kouhei."

"But why?" Silver eyes flashed with worry and he watched Kagome fidget. "Are you in danger?"

"Sesshoumaru-sama assigned me to this post," Ren began, ending her worry about whether or not to tell the dragon Lord the truth, "to watch over Lady Kagome through the winter when he is detained in the West."

Kouhei's eyes narrowed and he looked curiously down at the young woman whose scent swirled with pleasant but edgy notes of citrus.

"The Lord of the West cares for you enough to leave you alone all winter?"

"Mind your words, Kouhei-sama." Ryouzou warned quietly.

The bitter accusation was there, just behind his question and to Kouhei's surprise, Kagome answered just as quickly.

"No, I didn't give him a choice." Kagome fisted a hand on each hip and stared them all down, remembering the careless attitude they had all had about the health of her village during the last Council meeting. "I need to stay here to help my village survive during the winter. Illnesses can be swift and terrible during the months when there's less good food to go around. My mentor is aging and she can't keep up like she used to. I chose to stay here alone. It has nothing to do with him."

"Eh?" Katsurou interrupted, "Such a fierce defender of your intended, miko."

"He wouldn't be my intended if it weren't for _you_. Sesshoumaru wouldn't be worried about me at all if not for _you_. I would be enjoying my life here, planning for a future all my own if it weren't for **_you_**. All Sesshoumaru and I do is cause trouble for each other."

"A pleasant bonus, by my estimation. Enjoy these easy days, little human, for I'm sure the Palace will be a challenge all its own when you arrive."

Three pairs of daiyoukai eyes stared at her in the fading light and finally, the miko lost the battle against holding her tongue.

"And whose fault is that?" Kagome nearly growled. "The least you could do would be to tell me **_why_** you decided to ruin two lives at once. Your version of justice seems ridiculous to everyone who hears about it."

Katsurou dismissively and calmly examined his claws.

"The reason has always been to satisfy the blood payment to my house… but I have heard that you are getting on well with the stodgy dog."

Her ocean gaze narrowed angrily on the tiger's face.

"Do we have a choice?"

His mischievous grin grew wider and more wicked.

"I suppose not."

"Then won't you tell me the story of why you chose Mating a priestess as your 'justice'? You owe me that much."

"Very well, little one. In return, I maintain my expectation that you Mate the Lord of the West but also," the tiger clapped jovially, "that you join us for the tournament!"

"I can't." she said quickly, cutting her eyes, "I'm needed here. I have more work than usual now that I'm preparing to _leave_ next year."

"Is that so? Humans work so very much and accomplish so little. Leave them. Come to the West."

"I'll think about it."

Katsurou barked a laugh and rested a fist on each hip. "Your agreement, little miko, or else I keep the tale to myself."

Was it worth it? It could be a wild goose chase for information that was worthless. Would Sesshoumaru be angry she was there? Would Katsurou demand she come with him right now?

"I need to talk it over with the Captain first."

"By all means. Consult your guardian pup." Katsurou folded his arms and shooed them away.

Kagome grabbed Ren's arm and walked to the edge of the woods. Several steps into the forest, she stopped and opened her mouth to begin the discussion. Ren shook his head.

"They can hear us from here, Kagome-sama."

"Doesn't matter. It's not a secret. Is it safe for us to travel? Just be as vague as you need to. I'll get it."

"I could bravely say it is, but I am not certain. There are any number of reasons that being in the Palace would be unsafe. A bodyguard's nightmare, putting it bluntly. There are a hundred or more daiyoukai of all species as contestants, servants, and nobility. Their identities would be hell to verify and we simply do not have enough information."

"I wouldn't want to distract Sesshoumaru anyway. Is Rin safe?"

"I am certain milord has her well-kept during the event since she will be his **primary** concern."

"Ah. I get it. Well then, staying here it is."

"How disappointing!" Katsurou yelled from across the clearing.

Kagome sighed and made her way back to the river's edge with Ren in tow.

"I'll be staying here. Perhaps I'll hear the story behind this ridiculous and unfair punishment some other time."

"The punishment is just."

"I'll have to take your word for it but from where I stand, it's just petty vengeance."

Katsurou growled and was before her in an instant, looming over her much smaller frame with anger in his pale golden eyes. Ren drew his sword but pointed the tip toward the ground, remaining beside her. Blood drawn here meant war and there were verifiable witnesses. Even Katsurou wasn't stupid enough to kill her with all of them standing only a few feet away.

"Hear this, **human**," the tiger seethed, "he named that whelp his heir out of selfishness to stop the calls for his Mating. He refused to bind himself to another out of pride, and _hundreds_ died as a result."

"It wasn't pride!" Kagome blurted, clapping a hand over her mouth. Katsurou's eyes narrowed but Ryouzou only sighed and held an arm across Kouhei's chest to stop him from acting rashly when the scent of tears reached them. "It wasn't- it wasn't pride. You don't know anything about him."

"I know he failed to keep his kin in line and that damned half-breed **slaughtered half of my streak!**" Katsurou bellowed, leveling an accusatory finger at her. "I sentence the Lord of the West to pay penance with his soul and should you bear his children, he will watch them **all die** just as I watched my family die."

"That's not justice; it's just revenge."

"They are the same to This Katsurou."

"Then we're done here. Now I think you should leave."

"At last, we agree, little miko."

Without another word, Katsurou vaulted into the sky with a roar of anger and sped away. Ren watched him leave and then shifted his focus to Kagome, sheathing his sword. Her shoulders were slumped under the heavy emotional toll of this impromptu meeting. Ryouzou approached and laid a large clawed hand on her head. He spoke slowly, carefully, and Kouhei remained behind, confident that his uncle meant her no harm.

"I will not ask you to forgive him. He is failing to deal with a pain we all know. Our long lives are a curse more often than a gift. I offer you this wisdom for the future with the Lord of the West: strengthen each other in the time you have, and do not allow the doubts and prejudices of others affect you."

"How? I'm just a human and all I seem to do is cause problems for him. The humans I know won't accept him, and the youkai around him seem only half accepting of this predicament neither of us has any control of! It's just hurting us both. Now and in the future. I don't want that. He doesn't deserve it. I don't either."

"I have known Sesshoumaru since he was a pup. Our clans hated each other, and until your generosity touched my nephew, our silent feud might have continued for generations." A pale, clawed finger lifted her chin to gaze sadly up at him. "The storms in your eyes reflect the furious but giving nature of your aura. Use your power, human though you are. Aid him and guide him, as I am certain he will do for you. If you continue down the path of prevention and caution, as your hesitance suggests, you will live a half life, pleasing no one and accomplishing nothing. In the future, rise to the occasion, miko, and be the Mate of a daiyoukai worthy of your support."

Ryouzou froze as she hugged him fiercely, sniffling and squeezing. It had been so long since a guiding, parental voice of reason gave her any hope.

"Kagome-sama!" Ren warned, reaching out to pull her away.

The ancient black dragon retainer merely held up a hand to stop the Captain before laying it gently on her head.

"Can you do as I ask?"

"Mm hmm." The young woman swallowed and looked up at him. "Thank you so much. You're a good friend, Ryouzou."

"Friend?" The retainer clicked his tongue. "Perhaps that goes too far, little human, but I do not wish you ill. Our world is balanced as it is and I see the wisdom in that now. We must maintain it. Allies, we shall be…" Ryouzou cleared his throat, "unless you persist in dampening my robes."

Kagome lifted her head and saw the widening circle of darkened silk on his chest. Immediately she began wiping at the tearstains with the sleeve of her haori.

"Ah! I'm so sorry! Here let me-"

Kouhei stepped forward and the silver circlet glinted in the evening light when he leaned forward to inspect her.

"Kagome? Will you be all right?"

"Mm. Yes, Kouhei… sama." Kagome gave him a pale smile. "I'll be fine. Good luck during the meeting and tell everyone I said 'Hello'."

"I shall. When the tournament and meeting conclude, I will return alone if that is acceptable to you."

"Okay. It'll be nice to see a friend again. Safe travels to you both."

Ryouzou gave a nod and leapt from the ground. Kouhei stood awkwardly where he was for another moment then dropped his hands limply at his sides and gave her a wan smile.

"Until next time, Kagome-sama."

"Good-bye, Kouhei-sama."

With downturned eyes, the dragon Lord of the East slowly lifted from the ground with a sad backwards glance before turning west and following Ryouzou's trail through the clouds.

"Well, that was weird." Kagome said, blue eyes following the distant shadows into the darkening sky.

"You handled them well," Ren said, "but Kouhei-sama wanting to return is odd indeed."

Suddenly, the miko turned on her heel and took off through the woods as quickly as her human legs would carry her, headed for the village.

"Wait! Kago- Not again!" the Captain groaned.

It was a few seconds until he caught up but she failed to notice. Her brow was furrowed in thought, lips pinched together, and she took deep breaths as she pushed her legs faster.

"What is the hurry, milady?" the Captain wondered.

"I need to know that story Katsurou was going to tell." she said firmly, not looking at him.

"Why? He was only baiting you to get what he wanted. You made the right decision staying here. I cannot guarantee your safety in the West with so many unknown youkai present."

"I know that but it might be important. Trust me."

"I do, but why the hurry to the village?"

She turned her head and smiled quickly at him.

"I have a letter to write and **you** have a delivery to make."

He nearly tripped on a fallen log in surprise.

"Whoa! What?! No, I am to stay here. It has been less than a day since I arrived! Lord Sesshoumaru will skin me alive if-"

"You're my bodyguard, 'mine to command' you said, so this me **commanding** you to take a letter to the West, directly to the Lady Mother."

"Kikuko-sama?" he blurted. "Why in the seven hells to her?"

"Because if anyone can get information out of that tiger daiyoukai, it's her."

"I agree with you, as a matter of fact, but this is reckless and the complete opposite of my Lord's goals in assigning me here."

"But not opposite of mine. Trust me. Come right back here as soon as she gives you the information."

"Dammit! No! It could take days! I am facing Lord Sesshoumaru's whip as it is!"

"I'm sending one to him, too, as a cover. He can't know that there's one for his mother first."

"And now you want me to **_lie_** to the most powerful daiyoukai I have never known."

"Yep. Can you do it?"

"Can you regrow my ass as well as my arm?" he chuckled, still running beside her.

"Ha!" she laughed, stumbling in the fallen leaves and nearly falling. "Why would I need to do that?"

"Because my Lord may whip it beyond repair."

Her laughter was light and free as they reached the village, collected Shippou, and raced home. An hour later, Ren had donned his armor, belted his sword and bound his hair for the journey. They stepped out of the house and walked quickly down to the road.

"Straight to her, Ren. Don't stop until she has that letter in her hands."

"As you have said many times. I maintain that this is a bad idea."

"Noted. Now, give the second one to Sesshoumaru **_after_** Kikuko has hers. Wait for an answer from her before returning."

"And do what exactly, when Sesshoumaru-sama commands me to return immediately?" He pinched the bridge of his nose and hung his head. "Or throws me in the dungeons?"

"The Lady Mother should help you with that, if she reads my letter. I'm sorry to ask you to do this but I can't fly and you can and this is important."

"I understand, and that is the only reason I am going on this fool errand for you." he grumbled, palming the pommel of his sword.

A small hand touched his, curled over the fingers resting loosely over the pommel. Ren looked down with curiosity at the pleasant image of her hand atop his, and then raised his gaze to her serious face. Grateful sapphire eyes blinked up at him.

"Thank you, Ren. Really."

The Captain shook his head, silver hair tickling his jaw, and he stepped forward, nearly toe to toe with her. She looked quizzically up at him, dropping her hand and tipping her head to the side in curiosity. The young inudaiyoukai sighed with longing in his eyes.

"Consider how you intend to repay my kindness when I return."

And before she could answer him, a pair of warm lips pressed gently against her upturned cheek. The innocent kiss was so light and brief that Kagome wondered whether she had imagined it, gently touching her face as his shadow disappeared into the night sky.

_'Ren?'_

_..._

*A reference to Aogashima, the volcanic crater island of Japan.

_..._

_**AN:** Well, it took a while but here it is! Autumn 3 is in the works and will be up when it's up, sorry. Next time: the second Council meeting, the tournament of heirs, and the close of the first year of their promised separation!_

_As always, I hope everyone is well and happy, and I promise I haven't disappeared._


End file.
